


Family Planning

by albatross9



Series: Child Rearing [2]
Category: Community (TV)
Genre: Drama, Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Post-Season/Series 06, Romance, Sequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2017-10-08
Packaged: 2019-06-12 19:21:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15346854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/albatross9/pseuds/albatross9
Summary: Sequel to Child-Rearing for Beginners. One year post season 6. Jeff's life has been going well. He loves being a dad, he's on speaking terms with his family, he tolerates his job at Greendale, and he and Annie have been together for almost three and half years. The status is quo and that's how he likes it. Except Jeff Winger's life is not allowed to be easy.





	1. Chapter 1

              Jeff was slumped down in an uncomfortable plastic seat, one eye on Tyler, the other on his phone. Tyler stood several feet away from him facing down the long white-tiled hallway. He was bouncing on the balls of his feet as he craned his neck to try to peer over the heads of the crowd in front of him. He might have shot up in height over the past couple years, but he was still a good head shorter than most of the people around him. He clutched his handmade sign as he bounced, trying to get a better view.

              “She hasn’t even landed yet,” Jeff reminded him.

              “I thought she might have landed early,” Tyler replied, staying exactly where his was, too excited to just sit and wait.

              Jeff turned his attention back to his phone and tried to force the butterflies in his stomach to be still. Tyler’s excitement was starting to rub off on him. You would think that after almost three and a half years together he wouldn’t get this excited about seeing her, but here he was, a grown ass man, wishing that he could stand there with a big sparkly sign too. He shifted in his seat and tried to maintain his carefully constructed mask of nonchalance.

              He had just managed to arrange himself in the most dignified position one could be in while sitting in crappy airport seating when the sound of her name made his heart leap.

              “Annie!” Tyler shouted, holding his sign aloft for her to see. Across the front Tyler had written: _Welcome home, Agent Annie!_ in big, colorful letters. The sound of her delighted laughter answered his call and Jeff couldn’t help it. He grinned.

              “Oh, my God!” Annie called as she ran up to Tyler and scooped him into a hug, lifting his feet right off the ground. “You’ve gotten so big! And your hair is so long now!”

              “If you can get him to cut it, I would be willing to pay handsomely,” Jeff joked as he made his way over to them.

              “Sorry, but I’m an impartial third party. You won’t get any help from me,” Annie replied with a grin.

              Jeff smiled down at her for a moment. “Welcome home,” he said before he bent to press his lips to hers.

              “Gross.” Tyler grimaced at their show of affection before turning in direction of baggage claim.

              Jeff chuckled and casually slung his arm around Annie’s shoulders before following after his son. “How’s ol’ DC?”

              “Barack sends his love,” Annie answered.

              “Well, that’s sweet of him.” Jeff smiled at the banter that they so easily fell into whenever they spoke. He’d be lying if he said it didn’t make him happy. He kissed her again as the belt on the baggage carousel started moving.

              The three of them stood around together and chatted about her flight as they waited for her luggage. As soon as she’d spotted it, Jeff quickly snagged it off the belt and led the way to the parking deck.

              “What time is dinner tonight?” Annie asked as they approached Jeff’s car.

              “Yeah, about that…” Jeff began evasively as he loaded her suitcase into the trunk. “Wouldn’t you rather go to dinner with just me?”

              “I have all week to go to dinner with just you,” she pointed out. “The group is never all in one place anymore.”

              “Well, they still aren’t. Shirley and Abed are still out of town,” Jeff argued. “See? The whole outing’s a wash. Might as well cancel. I’ll make us a reservation at Morty’s.”

              Annie swatted him on the chest before getting into the passenger seat. “Nice try, but I am not missing this dinner.”

              “Fine,” he sighed. “Señor Kevin’s it is.”

* * *

 

              Jeff had just opened the front door when his phone began to ring. He stepped in and held the door open for Annie and Tyler to enter, shifting Annie’s suitcase in his arms so that he could dig in his pocket for his cellphone.

              “Hello?” he answered as Annie rushed past him and flung herself onto the couch with a contented sigh. Tyler kicked off his shoes and jumped onto the couch as well, bouncing up and down with a wicked grin, purposefully disrupting Annie’s relaxation. They were both laughing. Jeff smiled at the sight. He loved having her home.

              “Jeff?” The voice on the phone called his attention back. He had forgotten that he’d answered it and evidently the person on the other end had noticed.

              “Huh?”

              “Could you at least pretend to pay attention to me when I speak?”

              Jeff rolled his eyes and shut the door behind him. “Sorry, Mom. I’m listening now. Go ahead.”

              “I was just calling to see if Annie had made it back yet.”

              “Yep, she’s here. Safe and sound.”

              “Ooh!” Annie sat up and turned towards Jeff, extending her hand eagerly.

              “Hang on, Mom,” Jeff said, stepping over to the couch. “I think Annie wants to talk to you.”

              Annie took the phone from him and hopped to her feet, pressing the phone to her ear. “Hi, Doreen!” she greeted cheerfully.

              Jeff took Annie’s abandoned seat on the couch and watched as she paced the floor, happily chatting away to his mother.

              “The flight was fine,” Annie said, answering an unheard question from Doreen. “Long layover in Dallas, but it wasn’t that bad.” She paused and then laughed. “I’m doing well. How have you been?” She paused again. “And how’s George?” she asked with a grin, her voice taking on a gossipy, flirtatious quality.

              Jeff made a retching sound at the sound of George’s name and Annie shot him an annoyed look.

              “Of course, I’d love to!” Annie said into the phone while gesturing for Jeff to be quiet. “Sure, tomorrow sounds good. Just let me know.” She paused and her eyes darted to Jeff, “I’ll see what I can do.”

              Jeff groaned. He threw his head back against the couch cushion and tried very hard to remember that he was happy that she was here.

              “We’ll see you tomorrow!” Annie said cheerily before hanging up. “You’re coming to lunch,” she directed at Jeff, tossing him his phone back.

              “I don’t want to.”

              “You don’t want to see your mom?” Annie asked.

              “Don’t play dumb. It doesn’t suit you.”

              Annie put her hands on her hips. “He’s your mother’s boyfriend. You should really make an effort to like him.”

              “This _is_ me making an effort,” Jeff shot back.

              “Well, try harder.”

              “I like him,” Tyler chimed in.

              Annie smiled. “See?” She gestured to Tyler.

              “Brown-noser,” Jeff muttered in his son’s direction.

              “Stubborn mule,” Tyler muttered back and then quickly launched himself over the back of the couch with a delighted squeal right as Jeff made to reach for him.

* * *

 

              Jeff stepped out of his bedroom as he finished buttoning the cuffs of his shirt sleeves. “You ready?” He called to Annie. She was sitting on the couch next to Tyler, watching him play a game on his PlayStation.

              “Ready,” she answered, standing up and moving towards the door, ruffling Tyler’s shaggy blond hair as she passed.

              “Alright, we’re heading out,” Jeff said to Tyler. “Remember –”

              “I know,” Tyler cut him off without looking away from the TV screen. “’No answering the door for anyone I don’t know, in bed by ten, don’t burn the place down’,” he parroted.

              Jeff shot him a look of mild amusement. “You think you’re funny, don’t you?”

              “Funnier than you.”

              Jeff frowned at him. This had been a recent trend with Tyler. They had always joked around with each other, but lately there had been a bit more bite to his taunts. Jeff tried not let on that it bothered him, but it kind of did. “Well, that would be your opinion, wouldn’t it?” Jeff shot back, slipping into a cocky grin. “Seriously, though,” he continued in his dad voice. “Be safe.”

              “Have fun!” Tyler called with a quick wave, dismissing them from the room.

* * *

 

              Jeff and Annie walked into Señor Kevin’s and immediately spotted their group. Britta, Frankie, Chang, Dean Pelton, and Troy all sat around the largest table in the restaurant, conversing loudly enough to draw annoyed glances from the tables around them.

              “Looks like Elroy couldn’t make it, either,” Jeff said. “See? It’s fate. We should just cut our losses and go home. I’ll even cook.”

              “Would you stop trying to bail?” Annie complained. “Come on.”

              She held out her hand to him. He took it with a sigh and allowed himself to be dragged over to his waiting friends. He ended up having a pretty decent time despite the fact that the Dean repeatedly and unrelentingly brought up the ‘date’ they’d had there a full five years earlier.

              “But we had such a lovely time,” The Dean repeated for the third time when Jeff, yet again, pretended not to remember.

              “Dean, would you compare it to a kiss from a rose?” Britta asked.

              “No!” Jeff insisted while Troy and Annie lost themselves in a fit of laughter.

              Frankie raised her eyebrows at them. “I feel like I’m missing something.”

              “I’ll show you the video later,” Britta promised.

              Jeff glared at her. “I told you to delete that!”

              “Dude, it’s on the internet,” Chang said. “There’s no deleting it now. Trust me.”

              “Oh! Speaking of which,” Annie chimed in. “How’s Ned?”

              “He’s good! Busy with work, as usual.”

              “He couldn’t come out tonight?” Troy asked.

              “No, he’s on night shift in the ER this month,” Chang explained.

              “Well, tell him I’m sorry I missed him. And also, tell him again that I’m sorry I missed the wedding. I get so little time off these days,” Annie said with a frown.

              “Speaking of weddings,” Britta interrupted, whipping around to face Jeff. “When are you guys gonna tie the knot?”

              Jeff glared. “Haha. You’re hilarious.”

              “Who’s joking?”

              “You are, I hope.” Beside him Annie shifted in her seat. “It’s none of your business anyway.”

              Frankie looked between Jeff and Annie for a second before quickly changing the subject. “Dean! Why don’t you tell Annie about the campus-wide water balloon fight? It was… Unfortunately eventful.”

              The Dean sighed with remembered exasperation. Troy, however, was grinning. “It was awesome.”

* * *

 

              Lunch with Doreen and George was a lot calmer than eating with his friends had been, but not nearly as painless. The afternoon started out well enough. Jeff, Annie, and Tyler had met them a local sandwich shop that Doreen and Annie frequented together. Jeff thought he was doing a pretty good job of being civil with George, but every time Jeff spoke to him, Annie would shoot him an exasperated look like he wasn’t trying hard enough. He couldn’t help it. Something about this guy just rubbed him the wrong way.

              “When are you leaving us again, Annie?” Doreen asked.

              “Wednesday.”

              “So soon?” Doreen pouted.

              Annie nodded. “I’ve got to get back to work. I’m actually up for a big promotion,” she explained excitedly. “I don’t want to jinx it, but they could be sending me to Alaska! It would be my first field case.”

              “Alaska?” George asked with interest.

              “It’s not a permanent move. I’d be there for about six months.”

              “That sounds really exciting,” George said. “I hope you get to go!”

              Jeff frowned at his plate. He did not want to talk about Annie leaving again. He was happy for her, of course. Not only did she love her job, but she was good at it too. There was no way she _wasn’t_ going to get that promotion. She would be happy in Alaska, and he liked seeing her happy. But he also liked seeing her home. He’d never ask her to stay, though. It wouldn’t be fair. Not that she would do it. Her career was too important to her right now. And he definitely understood that. He had been the same way. Except, of course, he had cheated his way to success rather than earn it.

              After she had accepted a full-time position with the FBI, he’d spent a year entertaining the idea of following her to DC, but he just couldn’t uproot his life like that. He might have in the past, but not now. Not with Tyler to worry about. His life was here. His family was here.

              “Alaska,” George continued, turning his attention to Jeff. “How do you feel about that, Jeff?”

              Man, he hated this guy. Jeff stabbed his fork into his baked chicken once, angrily, before calmly meeting George’s eye. “I’m proud of her,” Jeff answered, his tone completely normal and conversational despite his annoyance.

              “Still. Alaska is pretty far away.”

              “Well, it’s not like she’s exactly been local for the past year and a half.”

              Annie kicked his shin under the table and he glanced at her before continuing, “All I mean is that we’ll make it work.” His tone was lighter now. “We’re no strangers to distance.”

              “I’m sure it’s not easy,” George replied gently. “I’m glad you guys are able to make it work.” He reached over and took Doreen’s hand in his and gave her a loving smile, “I can’t imagine spending that long away from this one right here.”

              “Aw!” Annie cooed while Doreen blushed and stared longingly at the man beside her.

              Jeff pushed his plate away and tried not to be sick.

* * *

 

              “So, how’s school?” Annie asked Tyler as they were finishing up dinner later that night. “Anything exciting going on?”

              Tyler shrugged. “There’s a dance on Friday.”

              “Aw! Jeff! Remember school dances?”

              “Pretty easy to remember since the last time I went to a school dance I was in my late 30s,” Jeff said as he stood up to clear the table.

              Annie rolled her eyes at him and turned her attention back to Tyler. “That sounds fun. Are you going?”

              “Yep.”

              “You going with anyone special?” she asked teasingly.

              Tyler hesitated. “Umm…”

              “Hold up!” Jeff shouted excitedly from the kitchen before bursting into the dining area. “Does my boy have a _date_?”

              Tyler sat up straight and puffed out his chest defiantly. “He might.”

              Annie was beaming. “Aw! What’s her name?”

              “Is she cute?” Jeff asked at the same time.

              “Jeff!” Anne admonished disapprovingly.

              “Welp!” Tyler said, standing up from the table. “I’m going to bed. Goodnight, guys!”

              Jeff grinned impishly. “It’s 7:30,” he noted as he followed Tyler to his bedroom door. “You’re not trying to avoid me, are you?”

              “Goodnight!” Tyler repeated as he shut the door between them.

              “Okay, goodnight, son,” Jeff said with a smirk. “We’ll pick this up in the morning.”

              From behind the closed door, Tyler called out in sing-song, “Oh no we won’t!”

              “Oh yes we will!” Jeff mimicked back happily. Embarrassing your kid was one of the many joys of parenting.

* * *

 

              On Friday night, Jeff and Annie were lounging on the couch watching _Friends_ reruns when Tyler exited his room wearing a grey plaid button up, sleeves rolled to his elbows, and a pair of dark wash jeans. His hair looked like it had been gelled into perfectly tousled bedhead, very reminiscent of the way Jeff’s hair often looked.

              Annie wolf-whistled when she spotted him and he ducked his head to hide his blush.

              Jeff grinned at him. “Very suave,” he complimented.

              “Thanks,” Tyler answered, taking a seat next to his father on the couch.

              “What time does your thing start?” Jeff asked. “Wouldn’t want you to be late.”

              “Don’t worry about it.”

              “Well,” Jeff said. “Seeing as how you can’t drive, I sorta figured you’d need a ride. Thus, the time of the dance would be information I would need to worry about.”

              “I don’t need a ride,” Tyler responded, reaching into his pocket for his cellphone.

              “Gonna ride your bike all the way to school?” Jeff joked.

              “Not taking my bike, either.”

              A knock on the door interrupted Jeff’s next teasing remark. Tyler immediately jumped up and hurried to the door. “Hey!” he greeted as he answered it.

              “What’s up?”

              Jeff and Annie glanced at each other with confusion before looking back up at their friend standing in the doorway.

              “Troy? Were we expecting you?” Annie asked.

              Tyler turned to them with a smile. “Troy’s my ride,” he explained.

              “Ready to go, little man?” Troy asked.

              “Yup!” Tyler gave Jeff and Annie a quick wave, “See ya!”

              “You asked Troy to drive you?” Jeff questioned incredulously, getting up from the couch and moving towards the doorway. “But I wanted to take you. It’s your first date! It’s kind of a big deal.”

              Tyler shot Jeff a sly grin as he shut the door behind him. “How do you know this is my first date?”

              “What?”

              The door shut with a click and Jeff took a step forward. “Wait, _what_?” he shouted. “Annie!” He whirled around to face her.

              She shrugged at him with a sympathetic smile. “I guess your little boy is growing up.”

              Jeff clapped his hands over his ears and shook his head. “No! He’s seven and he wants to be Spider-Man!”

* * *

 

              Jeff was slumped back on the couch with one foot propped up on the coffee table and a bored look on his face. He took a quick swig of his beer and stared dejectedly at the TV screen. He really couldn’t care less about Ross and Rachel’s drunken Las Vegas nuptials at the moment, but what else was he going to do with his evening.

              In his lap, his phone vibrated. He unlocked the screen to find a new message from Troy.

              _Sorry about tonight. When Tyler asked me to give him a ride I didn’t realize I was getting in the way of a family thing. I took pictures, if that helps._

His phone vibrated again. Two pictures popped up on the screen. They were of Tyler and a cute red-headed girl standing beside each other. In the first one Tyler looked slightly annoyed, but in the second one both kids were smiling at the camera.

              “Is that his date?” Annie asked from beside him, glancing over at his phone.

              “Must be,” Jeff answered, passing his phone off to her.

              “Look at them! That’s so cute.”

              “Yeah,” Jeff agreed simply.

              Out of the corner of his eye he could see Annie watching him. He took another sip of his beer and kept his eyes on the TV. “You really are bummed,” she finally said, handing him back the phone. “You weren’t joking. You wanted to take him.”

              Jeff shrugged.

              Annie curled up against his side and wrapped her arms around his torso, resting her head against his chest. “I’m sorry.”

              “I think I’m too old for this,” Jeff sighed.

              “Too old for what?”

              He gestured at Tyler’s bedroom door. “I don’t think I remember what it was like to be eleven. If I did maybe I would know how to talk to him. We used to hang out all the time. Now it’s like he doesn’t even want to be near me.”

              “Middle-schoolers are like that sometimes,” Annie said, still curled up against him. “Totally normal. He’ll grow out of it.”

              Jeff’s grip on his beer bottle tightened. “What if he doesn’t?” he asked quietly. “It took me until I was thirty-eight to reestablish a relationship with my mom. And without Tyler, I might never have.”

              Jeff felt Annie’s arms tighten around him. “Tyler isn’t you. I know him. _You_ know him. That isn’t who he is. That’s not something you have to be worried about. You’ll see.”

              “I really wanted to take him to that dance.”

              “I know. But there’ll be other dances. Especially if he goes to Greendale.”

              Jeff groaned. “Don’t even joke.” He could feel Annie’s shoulders shake with laughter as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer against him.

* * *

 

              At around 8:00, Jeff excused himself to the bedroom saying he was tired, but when he’d shut the door behind him he made no efforts to get ready for bed. He lay down on the bed, fully clothed and on top of the sheets with the lights still on.

              Sometime later he heard the door open very slowly. He lifted his head to find Tyler peeking into the room.

              “Go on,” Annie’s voice whispered from the other side of the door.

              Tyler glanced back at her once before stepping into the room. “Hi,” he said, standing there awkwardly like he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do now that he was here.

              “Hey,” Jeff greeted.

              “So, the dance was fun.” Tyler looked nervous as he said this.

              “That’s good. I’m glad you had a good time.”

              Tyler nodded and looked around the room, unsure. “The principal tried to do the whip and ended up punching himself in the face. He has a black eye now.”

              Jeff sat up straighter and smiled. “Yeah? I’d have paid to see that.”

              “It was definitely worth the price of admission,” Tyler grinned.

              After a moment, Tyler climbed up on the bed and settled next to Jeff. They sat side by side, their legs stretched out on the bed in front of them.

              “Her name is Maggie,” Tyler finally said.

              “Maggie, huh?”

              “Mmhm. We have math class together.”

              “Is she your girlfriend?”

              Tyler blushed. “No.”

              Jeff studied his son’s face and grinned. “But you want her to be.”

              Tyler’s blush deepened but he didn’t say anything. “Your face is the color of Maggie’s hair,” Jeff teased lightheartedly.

              Tyler covered his cheeks with his hands and looked up at Jeff with a sheepish grin. “So, I guess Troy sent you the pictures he took?”

              “He did. She’s cute.”

              Tyler looked down at his lap, but he was smiling. After a long moment, he finally spoke again. “Sorry that I was a jerk tonight. I don’t know why I got so embarrassed about it.”

              “It’s okay,” Jeff said, ruffling the boy’s hair. “I’m glad Troy didn’t embarrass you.”

              “Weeell…” Tyler said with a grimace. “He _might_ have cried a little when he dropped us off. He kept telling Maggie that I was ‘growing up so fast’. I probably would have been better off with you as our chauffer.”

              “I want you to remember that in the future. I’m the cool one in my friend group.”

              A shit-eating grin spread across Tyler’s face. “As scary as that is, I think you might be right.”

              “Hey!” Jeff objected and reached for his son. Tyler laughed and tried to jump off the bed to get away from him, but he wasn’t quick enough. Tyler flailed around laughing for a bit while they wrestled until eventually they settled back down, both laughing and smiling.

              “Alright,” Jeff said. “It’s getting late. Go get ready for bed.”

              Tyler hopped down off the bed and headed for the door.

              “And hey,” Jeff called. “Thanks for telling me about the dance.”

              Tyler nodded. “Goodnight.”

              “Love you.”

              “Love you, too, Dad.”

* * *

 

              On Wednesday, Jeff returned home from dropping Tyler off at school to find the apartment dark and quiet. He slowly opened his bedroom door and peered inside. Annie was still sound asleep in his bed. She was clearly aiming to take full advantage of her last day off.

              Jeff crawled into bed beside her and smiled to himself when she automatically rolled to curl against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and watched as she blinked herself awake.

              “Good morning.”

              “Morning,” she yawned back.

              “Sleeping in I see.”

              “Apparently not as late as I’d hoped.”

              He gave her a puzzled look.

              “You haven’t even left yet,” she explained.

              “I already took Tyler to school. It’s after 9:00.”

              “What? Don’t you have to work?”

              Jeff laid back and crossed his arms behind his head. “I called in sick.”

              “Jeff!” Annie scolded as she sat up.

              “It’s not like I had anything planned for today except another _Planet Earth_ marathon,” Jeff reasoned. “They’ll learn more on their day off than they would in my classroom. Plus, I already taught an actual lesson once this week. A man can only be expected to do so much.”

              Annie sighed and slid out of bed. “You’re hopeless, Jeff Winger.”

              Jeff grinned as he watched her stretch and move towards the bathroom. “I’d rather be at home with my beautiful girlfriend than be at work. So, sue me.”

              “Actually, your students could. In _Vergara v. California_ –”

              “Oh my God. Could you not?”

              “You teach _law_! This is the kind of stuff you should know. If you would just –”

              Jeff jumped to his feet and pressed his lips to hers, quieting her with a kiss. “See?” he said as he pulled away. “Isn’t that a more enjoyable use of your mouth than arguing with me?”

              “But you like that I argue with you,” Annie replied with a mischievous grin.

              Jeff grinned back. “Smart ass,” he murmured against her lips.

* * *

 

              “You know, I never seem to get tired of picking you up from the airport. But dropping you off really sucks.”

              Annie shot him a look as she closed the truck of his car, her backpack slung over one shoulder and her rolling luggage sitting on the ground beside her. “You know, telling me stuff like that doesn’t make it any easier to leave.”

              He scratched the back of his head guiltily before reaching out and pulling her into his arms. “Have a safe flight,” he murmured, pressing a light kiss against her hair. “Call me when you land.”

              She stood up on tip toes and pecked him gently on the lips. “I will.” She grabbed the handle of her suitcase and rolled it to the airport entrance. She gave him one last wave before disappearing inside. He stood alone outside the airport until someone honked at him, impatiently waiting to take his place at the curb.


	2. Chapter 2

              Jeff was sitting in the cafeteria with Frankie. She was busy trying to explain her plan to once and for all put a stop to the yearly underground paintball game. He was busy pretending to listen. He loved Frankie, but he tended to tune her out when she went on rants like these. She had done a lot of good for Greendale over the years, but somehow she still hadn’t quite grasped that Greendale was the kind of place that couldn’t be controlled. Not really.

              He was pushing the last bites of his salad around his plate and nodding along like he was paying attention when he spotted the Dean coming towards them. Jeff was mentally preparing himself for the onslaught of questions and weird comments that came with being within ten feet of Craig Pelton when his phone started ringing.

              “Oh, drat. Gotta take this,” he said without even looking at the number. He jumped up from the table and dashed away in the opposite direction of the Dean’s arrival.

              “Hello?” he said, answering the phone.

              “Hi!” Annie’s voice cheered through the speaker and he grinned. She couldn’t have had more perfect timing. He would have answered anyone’s call in that moment, but having it be her voice on the other end was the ideal scenario.

              “Well, hello there. Wasn’t expecting to hear from you today.”

              “I know. I wasn’t expecting to call, but I just got great news!”

              “Yeah? Do tell.”

              “I got the job! I’m going to Alaska! Can you believe it?”

              He stopped dead in his tracks. _Don’t go._ “That’s amazing! I knew you’d get it.”

              Jeff smiled when he spoke. He made sure his voice sounded happy. She was so excited and he wanted to be supportive, but his heart was sinking. Alaska for six months. Maybe longer. She was busy enough now that they hardly got to speak on the phone, let alone see each other. Six months in the field would make it nearly impossible. It was also going to make him anxious. He’d never had to worry about her before. Sure, her training at Quantico had been intense, but it hadn’t been dangerous, exactly. When she was in Washington she was behind a desk. Alaska would be a different story.

              “When do you leave?” _Don’t go._

              “Not for a while,” she explained. “But! Since I’ll be gone for so long, they’re giving me a few weeks off right before I fly out.”

              Jeff perked up. “Time off? Then, could you maybe –”

              “Plane ticket is already booked.” He could hear her smile and it was contagious. “I’ll be flying in on the fifteenth. Pick me up?”

              “Always.”

* * *

 

              Jeff and Tyler sat together at the dining room table, their heads bent over Tyler’s Spanish textbook. Tyler’s quiz was tomorrow and Jeff was trying to help him study, but he had willingly cleansed his brain of any and all Spanish knowledge that he had managed to learn while in school. Knowing the difference between _ser_ and _estar_ took up valuable brain space that could be used for other things, like Armani suit cuts.

              Jeff leaned back and ran his fingers through his hair. “I can’t. This is giving me flashbacks. Annie, you help him.”

              Annie rolled her eyes at him from her place on the couch and got up to join them at the table. “Let me see,” she said, reaching for the textbook. She scanned the page and shot Jeff a disapproving look. “We learned this stuff first semester. You should know this.”

              “Are you forgetting the part where our teacher wasn’t really a teacher?”

              Annie ignored him and sat down beside Tyler so that they could share the book. “Okay, so a good way to remember this is _ser_ is used for things that are permanent and _estar_ is used for things that are temporary. Right, Jeff?”

              Jeff looked up from his phone with a start. “Huh?”

              “Shouldn’t you be paying attention to this, too? What if he needs help again?”

              “But I already learned this,” Jeff argued.

              “Obviously not.”

              He groaned and leaned forward, elbow on the table, so that he could see Tyler’s Spanish book too.

              “How do you guys even manage when I’m not around?” Annie muttered to Tyler.

              He chuckled in response. “I have no idea.”

* * *

 

              Whenever Annie was home, Jeff often became wary of answering his mother’s phone calls. He pretty much assumed that she was just trying to get him to spend time with George. Annie really was the only reason he ever saw the man. He could count on one finger the amount of times he’d seen him without Annie standing at his side, pinching his arm every time his comments became a little too pointed. For whatever reason though, on this particular day, he picked up when Doreen called.

              “Hey, Mom.”

              “Jeffery! You answered!”

              He rolled his eyes. “No need to sound so surprised.”

              “There is need and you know it,” she said disapprovingly. “But I didn’t call to argue. I have something exciting to tell you!”

              Apprehensive butterflies tickled his insides. “What’s that?”

              “George proposed! Can you believe it? We’re getting married!”

               Jeff was suddenly wishing he hadn’t answered the phone. He clenched his jaw to keep himself from speaking.

              “He asked me tonight while we were out to dinner! I wanted you to be the first to know,” she continued with breathless excitement.

              “Wow,” Jeff managed. “That’s… Great. You sound really happy.”

              “I am!” She paused and he could hear George speaking in the background. He clamped his mouth shut again, fighting the compulsion to say something he’d later regret. “Sorry to just drop the news and run,” Doreen said after George’s voice had faded. “But we’re calling George’s family next. Thanks for answering, sweetie. Love you! Bye!”

              “Yeah, love you.”

              Jeff knew he should be touched that she thought of him first and that any good son would be happy for his mother in this situation. But he was struggling to feel anything but frustration. He threw his phone at the couch before taking a deep breath and shuffling into his bedroom. He collapsed face-first onto the bed where Annie sat reading. She looked up from her book with raised eyebrows. “Bad phone call?” she asked.

              “My _mother_ is getting _married_ ,” he groaned into the comforter.

              Annie sat up with a delighted gasp. “Aw! Yay!”

              Jeff shot her an incredulous look and she furrowed her brow. “You aren’t happy for her?”

              “No. Why would I be?” Jeff said, sitting up to face her. “It’s not like marriage worked out that great for her the first time around.”

              Annie nodded with understanding. “This will be different, though. Marriage isn’t always like that.”

              “Yes it is,” he argued. “People don’t just stay together like that. It never works out. Legally binding yourself to another person is just stupid.”

              “Oh, come on,” Annie said light-heartedly. “You don’t really believe that. You’re just upset about George.”

              “No. I do believe that _and_ I’m upset about George. I’m capable of both.”

              She shut her book with an agitated snap. “Then you’re an idiot.”

              Jeff recoiled slightly. Her tone had changed drastically. Suddenly this wasn’t a conversation anymore. “Why?”

              “You really don’t see the irony of what you just said?”

              Jeff was confused. “We aren’t talking about Doreen and George anymore, are we?”

              She glared back. “What is this to you?” she asked, gesturing between them.

              “What?”

              “Is this just a pit-stop for you?”

              Jeff’s eyes widened. “What? No!” This conversation was starting to snowball and he didn’t understand how it had gotten to this point. “Of course this isn’t a pit-stop! Are you – Are you asking me about getting married? Because I don’t need a piece of paper and an expensive ceremony to prove I’m committed. Do you?”

              She slapped her hands against the bed in exasperation. “No, but it wouldn’t hurt!”

              “You _want_ to get married? Why?”

              “Because I’m stupid, obviously!” she snapped, throwing the sheets off of her and angrily getting to her feet.

              “That’s not what I said and you know it.”

              Annie appeared not to be listening to him. She disappeared into the closet and reappeared with her empty suitcase. She started opening drawers roughly and stuffing handfuls of clothing into the bag. He thought he heard her mutter “I should have known,” as she zipped up her bag and his mouth fell open. What the Hell was happening?

              “Where are you going?” he called from his spot on the bed. He hadn’t moved yet. He was still in shock.

              “To Troy’s,” she said angrily as she slung her bag over her shoulder and headed for the bedroom door.

              “Why?” She didn’t answer him. “Annie!” he shouted, trying to get her to look at him, but she stared straight ahead as she marched away. He heard her turn the deadbolt on the front door. Dread suddenly replaced shock and it spurred him into movement. He sprang to his feet, but he was just a little too late. “Annie!” he called again as the door shut behind her.

* * *

 

              Jeff threw his empty Starbucks cup at the TV screen. He was aiming for Drew Carey’s stupid face but he missed, which only made him scowl harder. He was calling bullshit. There was no way a piece of rolling luggage cost that little. This game was rigged. Of course, it was also possible that watching _The Price is Right_ for three straight hours had muddled his ability to think clearly. He’d given up trying to sleep at some point during the night and had instead settled on watching horrible late-night infomercials and reruns of old game shows he hated. When he’d gotten so tired that he started to feel sick, he’d gone to get coffee, but the caffeine had done very little to help. Now he was not only exhausted, but he was also irritated. He wished he had something else to throw.

              Tyler’s door opened and the boy stepped into the living room, his shaggy blond hair a tangled mess. “Oh, hi,” he said. He seemed surprised to see Jeff awake and fully dressed. He hesitated like he was waiting for Jeff to respond before he headed into the kitchen. He reemerged a few minutes later with a bowl of cereal.

              He came up to the couch and hesitated again. He glanced around once before slowly taking a seat next to his father. They sat in silence for a long time while Jeff tried to focus on his show and Tyler ate his breakfast. Out of the corner of his eye he kept seeing Tyler turn to look over his shoulder at Jeff’s open bedroom door.

              _The Price is Right_ ended and the next block of programming started. Tyler looked over his shoulder one last time before turning to Jeff. “Where’s Annie?”

              “At Troy’s,” Jeff answered without looking away from the screen.

              “Ah,” Came Tyler’s response. A long silence stretched between them before he asked, “Did something happen?”

              Jeff ignored him. He shifted on the couch and settled into a more comfortable position, crossing his arms over his chest.

              After another silent moment Tyler set his cereal bowl down loudly. “That’s okay. Don’t tell me. I only live with you.”

              “Can we not do this right now?” Jeff sighed.

              “You know I can just ask Troy. He actually tells me stuff.”

              “I wish you wouldn’t.”

              “And I wish you wouldn’t be a jerk.”

              “Hey!” Jeff turned to his son in frustration. The kid was starting to cross a line.

              “Oh, right. I forgot you’re the only one allowed to brood around here.”

              Jeff blew an irritated breath out through his nose. “I’m trying to watch my show,” he said, slowly, forcing his voice to be even.

              “Oh, I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt. _The Jefferson’s_ has only been on since the 70s. Avoiding spoilers must be a full-time job.”

              “What do you want from me?”

              “I want you to talk to me!” Tyler shouted. “You can’t get pissy when I cut you out and then turn around do the same to me!”

              Jeff sat back in surprise. Ever since he was little Tyler had always had a way of speaking to him that could cause his perspective to shift. He always seemed to know when he needed to be called out. “Tyler…”

              “You don’t have to tell me everything. But what happens with you and Annie affects me too, you know. She’s family.”

              The room was quiet again. But this time it wasn’t the same stifling silence as before.

              “Annie and I had a fight,” Jeff finally said. “I made her mad and she left. She’s staying with Troy.”

              Tyler nodded a couple times before settling back on the couch. “I’m sorry,” was the only thing he said. He sat so that his back rested against Jeff’s arm and let his attention become consumed by the sit-com flashing across the TV screen.

              Jeff watched his son for a moment before he wrapped his arm around him and allowed himself to be absorbed into TV land as well.

* * *

 

              Jeff sat alone in his office, staring at his cellphone. He took a deep breath before hitting Call and raising it to his ear. It rang once, twice, eight times before it clicked over to voicemail.

              “Hi, you’ve reached Annie Edison…”

              He didn’t know what he expected. She hadn’t answered any of the other times he’d called today, but he had to keep trying. They very rarely fought. Not like this, anyway. He hadn’t meant to be a dick and he wanted her to know that.

              The short digital beep sounded through the phone and brought him back to the present. “Hey, Annie,” he began. “Just calling to… I think we need to talk. I know, understatement of the year. Just… Call me back, okay?”

              He sighed and set his phone down on his desk, propping it up against his name plate. He drummed his fingers impatiently against his desk for a moment before sighing again and leaning forward to rest his head against his arms, keeping his eyes on his phone.

              A knock sounded from his office door, but he didn’t acknowledge it. Maybe if he didn’t move, they’d go away.

              “There you are,” Britta said, stepping through the doorway. Obviously his ignore-it-‘til-it-goes-away strategy hadn’t worked.

              “Office hours are over,” he said in monotone without looking up.

              “Still in a bad mood, huh?” she asked, leaning casually against the doorway. “I’m guessing this pleasant demeanor has something to do with Annie.”

              “Go away.”

              “Waiting for a call?”

              “No.”

              A second later his phone lit up. A jolt went through him. He sat up so quickly that he gave himself a head-rush. He anxiously snatched up his phone but after one glance at the screen he turned to glare at the doorway where Britta stood smirking. She held her phone up for him to see and wiggled it teasingly.

              “I hate you,” Jeff stated angrily.

              “No, you don’t.” She seemed way too proud of her underhanded little trick. “Now. Wanna tell me what’s wrong? I _am_ only three credits away from a psychology degree.”

              “Psychology undergrad. At Greendale.”

              “Still counts.”

              “Hardly.”

              She pursed her lips at him. “Fine. You don’t have to tell me.” She sat down in front of his desk and leaned back in the chair, lounging. She studied her nails as she sat, looking completely casual.

              “What are you doing?”

              “Nothing.”

              Nothing his ass. He crossed his arms and glared across his desk at her. She was trying to wait him out. He could win. She would eventually move on. But how long would that take? Days? Weeks? She was as stubborn as he was. It might be more pragmatic to just talk to her. He sighed.

              “We had a fight. She isn’t talking to me,” Jeff said, turning his gaze to the ceiling.

              “What did you fight about?”

              “It was a very one-sided fight.”

              “Okay, then. What is she mad about?”

              Jeff kept his eyes on the ceiling tiles. “I accidently insulted her.”

              Britta didn’t respond. She just sat there watching him.

              “And we apparently have very different visons of the future.”

              She sat forward with interest. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”

              “No,” Jeff countered, getting to his feet. “Now we’re getting nowhere. Office hours are over. Thanks for stopping by.”

              “But –”

              “Student, teacher,” he said, pointing from Britta to himself and then at the door. “Out.”

              Britta screwed up her face and got to her feet as well. “Fine. We will continue this session later.”

              Jeff watched as she turned and stomped out of the room, her high heeled boots clacking against the tiled hallway as she retreated.

              He sat back down and looked at his phone in thought. Were his and Annie’s ideas about the future really that different? They both clearly had a vision of the two of them together. They both clearly wanted to stay together. They just disagreed on the exact circumstances. Which meant this whole not talking thing was ridiculous. He jumped to his feet and snatched his jacket from the peg by the door, following Britta out of his office and down the hall.

              Twenty minutes later, Jeff was rapping his knuckles against the door to apartment 505. He took a nervous step back while he waited, his fingers drumming unconsciously against his thigh. A shadow moved on the inside of the peep hole and he could hear a quick hushed conversation before the door squeaked open. Troy stood in the narrow opening, blocking Jeff’s view of the inside of the apartment.

              “Hey,” Troy greeted uncomfortably.

              “Is Annie here?” Jeff didn’t feel like exchanging pleasantries.

              Troy glanced once over his shoulder. “Um…”

              Jeff shifted his weight from foot to foot. “I know she’s – I was being rhetorical. Can I talk to her?”

              Troy turned back to Jeff. He looked upset. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

              “Please?”

              Troy looked over his shoulder again, deliberating. “She’s going to kill me,” he muttered under his breath before stepping aside to let Jeff in.

              Jeff stepped over the threshold and Troy nodded silently in the direction of the kitchen before backing out of the apartment and into the hallway. “I have to, uh, go do something else. That’s not here.” He started to close the door behind him and then poked his head back in. “Just don’t break anything,” he added with a pleading look before shutting the door.

              Jeff waited until Troy’s footsteps had faded before he headed for the kitchen. Annie was standing with her back to the door. She was leaning against the counter, focusing on the cup of coffee in front of her. She didn’t look up when he entered.

              He moved slowly, crossing the kitchen so that he stood behind her, placing his hands against the counter on either side of her. He rested his chin lightly on her shoulder. “Still mad?” he asked teasingly, attempting to break the ice. She pointedly ignored him, but he noticed that she didn’t push him away. So, that was something.

              He took a steadying breath before speaking. “Look, I’m not perfect. Sometimes I just say crap without thinking. I was mad about a situation that had nothing to do with you and I took it out on the wrong person. I really didn’t mean to upset you. And I hope you know that I do want to be with you. I love having you in my life. I’m sorry if I made you feel like I didn’t.” He paused. “Forgive me?”

              He leaned forward against her and poked out his bottom lip. “Look at me. See how sad I am? You don’t want to give me frown lines, do you?”

              He watched her face as she struggled against the smile tugging at her lips. “Wouldn’t that be a travesty?” she asked sarcastically.

              “Notice how only one of us is joking, here.” Annie finally turned around so that she was facing him, her back resting against the edge of the counter. He smiled lightly and pressed his forehead to hers. “Did I mention I was sorry?”

              “I might have heard something about that.” She leaned into him. Then, after a pause, “You’re still an ass.”

              He grinned. “I figured that went without saying.”

              Annie leaned away so that she could look at him, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “So,” she said. “You’re not perfect, huh?”

              “Tell no one,” he replied seriously.

* * *

              “Please stay. Please, please.”

              “You know I can’t. They gave me this time off to prepare for Alaska. Not to socialize.”

              “I’ll help you prepare,” Jeff said. “What do you need? A winter coat? Let’s go shopping.”

              “I need to put my utilities on hold. I need to call the cable company. I need to pack,” Annie listed off. “I can’t do that stuff from here.”

              “You can do some of that from here,” he corrected. “And don’t act like you need a week to pack. You’re so efficient you could pack your whole life into a van within the hour if you had to.”

              “Jeff…”

              “Do not make me go to this engagement party alone. Please.”

              “You won’t be alone,” she said. “You’ll have Tyler.”

              “I need you.”

              Annie groaned. “I already payed for my return ticket,” she argued half-heartedly.

              Jeff grinned. He knew he’d already won, but he might as well sweeten the deal. “I’ll buy you a new one. How does business class sound?”

              “First class or no deal.”

* * *

 

              Jeff just knew this was going to be a horrible experience. He wasn’t sure what exactly was going to go wrong, but every step they took that brought them closer to Doreen’s front door filled him with anxiety.

              Right as he was reaching for the handle, Annie’s phone began to ring. She looked down at her caller ID. “Oh, shoot. Sorry, I’ve got to take this.”

              “Annie!” Jeff complained. He didn’t want to walk in without her. He needed his buffer.

              “Hey! You’re the one who begged me to come to this even though you knew I have a lot going on,” she chastised. “You can spend ten minutes without me. Go on in.” She shooed him towards the door before turning and walking away. As she retreated she raised her phone to her ear. “Annie Edison,” she said, answering the phone briskly.

              He looked down at Tyler, hoping that an excuse for why they needed to stay outside would come to him but before he could think of one, Tyler was stepping forward to swing the door open, leaving him no choice but to follow his son inside.

              Doreen’s sitting room was full of people. Some of them Jeff recognized as various relatives, the others he assumed were family friends or George’s family. Joy. He had no plans to mingle. Once Annie got here she would drag him around and force him to interact with these people, but until then he was content to stand off to the side and observe. But of course, his mother had different plans.

              “Jeffery!” Doreen’s voice called across the room. He looked up to see her and George standing together over near the kitchen. They were waving him over. Jeff inhaled deeply and squared his shoulders before crossing the room to greet them.

              “I’m so glad you could make it!” Doreen said happily, wrapping her son in a hug.

              Jeff gave her a quick peck on the cheek and smiled. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

              “Hey, Grandma!” Tyler greeted from Jeff’s side.

              “Hello, dear.” Doreen hugged Tyler, too, and held him close to her side. She and Tyler had always had a special bond. She also seemed to be immune to his recent bout of pre-teen surliness.

              “Where’s Annie?” George asked, scanning the crowd for her.

              “She’ll been in in a moment. She got a call from work that she had to take,” Jeff answered.

              “Is that girl ever _not_ working?” George laughed in response. “Well, would you like a snack or something while you wait?” he offered. “Try some kettle corn.” He held out a clear plastic bag of yellow and white popcorn for Jeff to take.

              Jeff bit the inside of his lip to control his tone before speaking. “No, thank you,” he muttered, turning away and reaching for his phone.

              “My son makes it himself,” George added.

              “It’s delicious!” Doreen said, handing Tyler a bag of the stuff.

              “I don’t – Wait,” Jeff turned back to George, suddenly wary. “Your son makes it?”

              “Mmhm. In his garage.”

              Jeff turned slowly to look around the room again, paying closer attention to faces this time. He spotted a familiar figure grinning at him from three feet away and groaned. “You have _got_ to be kidding me.”

              “Jeff? Well, hi there, stranger,” Rich greeted cheerfully, striding right up to him, still smiling. Like always. “How have you been?”

              “Oh, my God.”

              “I guess we’re going to be step-brothers, huh?”

              “This can’t be happening.”

              “I know! What are the odds?” Rich turned to speak to Doreen and George but spotted Tyler at Doreen’s side. He shot a quick grin at Jeff before speaking, “Why, hello. Is this your son?”

              Tyler stuck out his hand. “I’m Tyler. I like your kettle corn.”

              “Nice to meet you, Tyler. And thank you,” Rich answered, taking his hand. “My name is Rich.”

              Tyler’s face broke into a knowing grin. “Oooh,” he said in understanding, shooting Jeff an amused look. He had heard the stories.

              “Do you two know each other?” Doreen asked pointing back and forth between Rich and Jeff.

              “We took a couple classes together at Greendale, right, buddy?” Rich answered. Jeff glared back at him.

              Doreen seemed to be willfully ignoring Jeff’s annoyance. “Wow! So, you were classmates? What a small world.”

              “Microscopic,” Jeff agreed through his teeth.

              “ _Rich_? Is that you?”

              Jeff turned to see Annie standing there with a shocked smile on her face. She was all too pleased to see him.

              “Annie?” Rich asked before she rushed over and threw her arms around him with delighted laughter.

              Jeff scowled at them. Rich had better get his gross, mud-slinging hands off of her before he had to make him.

              “What are you doing here?” Annie asked excitedly, stepping away from Rich.

              “What am _I_ doing here? What are _you_ doing here?”

              “I’m here for the engagement party, obviously,” Annie answered.

              Jeff reached out and grabbed Annie, pulling her over to him and wrapping his arm possessively around her shoulder. “She’s with me,” he said both to answer his question and to claim what was his.

              “Really? Well, there’s a surprise! I thought you were with Britta?”

              “Britta?” Doreen asked in astonishment. “Your friend Britta?”

              Jeff clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes at Rich. Gee, thanks, Doogie Howser.

              Rich grimaced slightly and held up his hands in surrender, slowly backing away. “I can see that I’ve accidently put my foot in something here. I’ll just excuse myself. It was good to see you again, Jeff, Annie. Nice to meet you, Tyler.” He gave Doreen and George a quick wave, “Doreen, Dad.” He turned and walked away, slipping easily into a large group that stood nearby, chatting away happily.

              “Wait,” Annie stepped away from Jeff so that she could get a good look at his face. “’Dad’?” she asked, looking from Jeff to George.

              Jeff didn’t answer her. “I need a minute,” he muttered, stepping away and heading towards the guestroom in the back of the house. He needed to be alone.

              The guestroom was sparsely decorated and had that feel of being rarely used. As far as he knew, he was the only one who ever stayed here. When Tyler was younger they would come stay the night at Doreen’s fairly often, but now it was mostly limited to major holidays.

              He sat down on the bed and stared at the picture collage on the wall, which mostly consisted of four years’ worth of photos of Tyler. The hope was that happy memories would help calm him down, but it didn’t seem to be doing the trick.

               Jeff laid back on the bed with a sigh and covered his eyes with the backs of his hands. He had known this day would be horrible. It was like he just couldn’t win these days. His son seemed to hate him half the time, his mother was marrying a loser, his step-brother to-be was a jerk, and his girlfriend was moving to Alaska for half a year. What else could happen? Was Frankie going to finally make him start teaching? He didn’t know how much more of this he could take. He had only just managed to get his life back on track after that fight with Annie. And they still hadn’t actually talked anything out. After he’d apologized, the subject just kind of dropped and they’d moved on like nothing happened. Now that whole conversation was just hovering over his head like the sword of freaking Damocles. It was just too much.

              He sat up in frustration. There was nothing to do but just deal with it, he supposed. Brooding in the guestroom wasn’t going to solve his problems and he didn’t want to upset his mother on top of all this other crap he had on his plate.

              He stood up and started to head for the door, but something on the ceiling caught his eye. He looked up and sighed again, this time in exasperation.

              He strode with purpose into the sitting room and went right up to Doreen, ignoring Rich and the others who were all standing nearby.

              “Mom, why don’t you have batteries in the guestroom smoke detector?”

               “Oh, I forgot,” Doreen gasped, looking guilty. “It was dying so I took the batteries out to stop the beeping. I forgot to replace them. I’m sorry.” He voice was apologetic. She looked genuinely concerned that she had upset him.

              Jeff let his disappointed look slide from his face. He knew she hadn’t meant to leave the batteries out. But still. She needed to be more careful. “I’ll replace them,” he offered.

              He started to move towards the kitchen where he knew she kept the batteries, but she shook her head. “I don’t have any nine-volts. That’s why I never replaced them.”

              “Alright,” Jeff pivoted and headed for the front door. “Then I’ll be back.”

              “Wow. Such a stickler for fire safety,” Rich teased from behind him and Jeff clinched his fists in response.

              “Yes, I am.” Jeff didn’t even attempt to hide his irritation.

              “I’m sure Doreen appreciates the help, but don’t you think batteries can wait until after the party?” Rich was laughing. Jeff was not.

              He turned towards Rich with every intention of shutting him up when Annie interrupted. “Shut up, Rich,” she snapped, shooting him a dirty look.

              Rich took a step back in surprise. He clearly hadn’t expected such a reaction from his joke.

              “But –” he stammered. “I was just suggesting that –”

              “Yes, do shut up, Rich.” It was George cutting him off this time. Now it was Jeff’s turn to look surprised.

              George turned and locked eyes with Jeff. They stood there, several feet apart, silently regarding each other. After a long moment Jeff nodded once, an unspoken thank you. George inclined his head in return before turning his attention to one of their party guests and easily striking up a conversation.

              Jeff watched him for another second before continuing his trek towards the door. Maybe George wasn’t so bad after all.

* * *

 

              Jeff sat up in a panic, suddenly wide awake and clutching at the front of his shirt. It had been a long time since he’d had that dream and time had not made it any more pleasant. He held his breath to resist the compulsion to cough. He could still taste the smoke.

              He glanced over at Annie, still sleeping soundly beside him, before carefully sliding out of bed. There was something he needed to do if he was ever wanted to get back to sleep tonight. He left his bedroom and made his way across the darkened apartment. He reached his destination and slowly cracked open the door, just enough to peer inside and see his son, safe and asleep in his own bed.

              He let out a breath before closing the door as quietly as he could and backing away from the room. Even though he knew it had been a dream, it made him feel better to check.

              He sat down on the couch and put his head in his hands, trying to clear his mind.

              “Jeff?”

              He turned towards the sound of the voice. Through the darkness he saw Annie standing in his bedroom doorway, watching him. “Hey,” he whispered. “Sorry, did I wake you up?”

              She shook her head and stepped into the living room. “I just happened to wake up and you weren’t there. Are you okay?”

              Jeff pushed a smile onto his face. “I’m fine. Go on back to bed. I’ll be there in a minute.”

              Annie knew him better than that. “What’s wrong?” she asked, moving deeper into the room.

              “Bad dream, that’s all. No need to worry.”

              Annie knelt on the couch beside him and leaned in to rest her cheek against his shoulder. “Tell me about it?”

              Jeff’s eyes were on the floor. He curled and uncurled his toes into the carpet, watching the fibers shift. “It was that dream I used to have. The one about the fire.” His words were so quiet he was amazed she heard him.

              “Because of what Rich said?”

              Jeff didn’t respond. He clasped his hands in front of him and squeezed so that his fingers dug into his knuckles. The pain was grounding.

              “I’m sorry,” Annie whispered.

              Another silent moment passed between them before she spoke again. “Do you want to watch TV? Would that help?”

              Jeff felt a warmth in his chest and smiled. Annie somehow always managed to make things better. He turned to her and brushed his fingertips against the side of her face. “Let’s just go back to bed.”

              She leaned into his touch and smiled. “Are you sure?”

              “Definitely.”

              They fell asleep wrapped in each other, fitting together as naturally as a two-piece puzzle. Two halves of a whole.

* * *

 

              The departures area of the airport seemed busier than it usually did. Everyone around them was moving with purpose, heading from place to place. The sound of an airplane taking off echoed loudly around the concrete structure, momentarily drowning out the hustle and bustle of rolling suitcases and families saying goodbye. Amidst all the movement and noise, Jeff and Annie were standing still. They stood on the curb beside Jeff’s car, facing each other but not making eye contact.

              Annie was the first to move. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Jeff’s waist. “I’m going to miss you,” she said.

              Jeff wound his arms around her as well, resting one hand against her soft brown hair. She usually avoided saying stuff like that when he dropped her off. They always tried not to say things that made their goodbyes even harder. But this one was different. They had never talked about the fight. They moved on like it had never happened, but they both knew it had. And now she was going away for much longer than she ever had before. Even after last night, it made their exchange awkward.

              “I love you,” Jeff finally said. It was the only thing he could think to say. There was no other way to express how he felt without crossing that line between saying goodbye and starting The Talk.

              “I love you, too,” she answered. Jeff could feel her smiling against his chest and he knew they would be okay. They always were.

              He stepped out of their embrace and grinned. This goodbye could use some levity. “Now, go enjoy first class.”

              She smiled right back. “Oh, I intend to.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

              Control of the television tended to be source of much contention in the Winger household. There was nothing Jeff enjoyed more after a long day at work than to come home and melt his brain with crap TV. The crappier, the better. Tyler almost always got home first, however, and his idea of relaxation was to sit down with controller in hand and shoot people for hours. Whenever Jeff complained, Tyler would just bring up that this wouldn’t be an issue if Jeff would buy him his own TV. And sure, that could be arranged. But then Tyler really would never talk to him. At least now, when Tyler was playing his games, Jeff could get a few words in between rounds. If he were locked away in his bedroom that wouldn’t be the case. He wanted control of the TV back, but he wasn’t willing to lose the tenuous hold on their relationship that he had. So, they were at an impasse.

              Jeff was in the kitchen, listening to the sounds of laser guns and God knows what else, when he had an idea. He wanted to bond with Tyler, right? Well, how had they bonded in the first place? Video games. Jeff was an idiot.

              He left the kitchen and made his way over to the couch where Tyler sat, eyes glued to the screen, tongue out in concentration. Jeff observed for a while, trying to grasp the concept of the game. He was a little lost.          

              “What’s this one called again?” he finally asked.

              Tyler looked up at Jeff once, then quickly returned his attention to the game.

              “ _Overwatch_ ,” he answered.

              “How do you play?”

              Tyler snorted. “You shoot the other team.”

              “Well, gee, thanks for clearing that up for me.” Jeff moved around the couch and sat down next to him. “I just meant, it seems like there’s more to it.”

              The round ended and Tyler turned to Jeff, eyeing him distrustfully. He looked like he was trying to decide if there was an ulterior motive behind Jeff’s sudden interest. “Well, there is. There are different game modes, so the objective changes depending on which one you’re playing.”

              “Do you mind if I try?” Jeff asked, extending his hand towards the controller.

              Tyler raised his eyebrows. “You want to play _Overwatch_?”

              “Is that a problem?”

              Tyler’s face broke into an amused smile, “No, no problem.”

              He handed the controller to Jeff and turned to watch the screen.

              Jeff moved the thumb stick back and forth, highlighting different characters. “Who should I play as?”

              “Well, who do you want to play as?” Tyler asked. “Here,” He got up and moved closer to the screen, pointing at the line of character icons. “See how they’re separated into groups? These are offensive heroes, these are defensive heroes, these are tanks, and these are support.”

              Jeff was already lost. “What’s a tank?”

              “Big guys that can take a lot of damage,” Tyler explained, reclaiming his seat on the couch.

              Jeff didn’t want to admit that description was less than helpful. “Um, okay. What do you play?”

              “Support usually. I’m best with Mercy.” When Jeff hesitated, Tyler pointed again. “The angel.”

              “Right. Then I’ll play her.”

              As it turned out, _Overwatch_ was not Jeff’s game. He sucked at it, which frustrated him to no end. Tyler found it hilarious, though.

              “And I thought you were bad at _Minecraft_ ,” he teased as Jeff died yet again.

              “Yeah, well, let’s see how well you do in an arcade,” Jeff challenged. “Next time we’re out: Me, you, Mrs. Pac-Man.”

              Tyler grinned. “You’re on.”

              Jeff navigated to the character select menu, contemplating trying out a different character when his phone started ringing. He planned to ignore it until Tyler checked the caller ID.

              “It’s Grandma,” The boy said, holding the phone out for Jeff to take.

              Jeff sighed. “I guess I’d better answer it, then.”

              “Yup.”

              Jeff traded the controller for the phone and got to his feet. As much as he hated getting his ass handed to him, he had been having a really good time. He felt stupid for not thinking to do that sooner.

              “Thanks for letting me play. I had fun,” Jeff said as he headed for his bedroom.

              “Masochist,” Tyler muttered, but he was smiling.

              “Hey, Mom,” Jeff said, answering his phone as he shut his bedroom door behind him, drowning out the sound of futuristic gunfire.

              “Oh, good. I’m glad you answered. How would you like to come over for dinner tomorrow night?” Doreen asked.

              “Uh, well, Tyler is staying with a friend tomorrow –”

              “Just you, then.”

              “Alright. Just me. Sure, I’ll come over for dinner.”

              “Perfect. 6:00. Don’t be late.”

              Jeff looked down at his phone screen with his eyebrows raised. That was odd. Why did he have the feeling that this was more than just mother-son bonding time?

* * *

 

              As it turned out, Jeff was right to have his suspicions about dinner. He showed up at 6:00 on the dot, as requested, to find George and Rich already seated at the table. Jeff put on a polite smile and took his seat at the table as well, the only available chair being the one next to Rich and across from George. Let the awkwardness ensue.

              Conversation drifted from subject to subject. Jeff didn’t do much talking, speaking only when spoken to. Rich being in his mother’s house still felt unreal to him and it was throwing him off. He’d never imagined that he’d see this person again. Sitting beside him at the dinner table while discussing the wedding that would soon make them step-brothers was bizarre, to say the least.

              As dinner began winding down, Jeff could feel the conversation building towards something.

              “So, as you’ve probably begun to suspect, we invited you boys here for more than just dinner,” George began. “The wedding plans are well underway, but there’s still one thing missing: The wedding party. And I would be honored,” he paused and reached out to take Doreen’s hand in his, “ _We_ would be honored if you two would be my groomsmen.”

              Called it.

              “Of course, Dad!” Rich said happily. “I’d love to!”

              Now it was Jeff’s turn to accept or deny. He had no good reason to say no, but all the same the urge was there. He almost smiled at the thought of turning down the invitation, but then he imagined Annie and Doreen’s reactions. That quickly put an end to that line of thought. He’d never been in a wedding before, but how bad could it really be? It’s not like George was asking him to be best man or anything. And truthfully, after the engagement party, his distaste for George had started to wane. What would saying no accomplish other than being an ass?

              “I’m flattered that you’d want me in your wedding. It’s a yes from me, too.”

              “Thank you,” George said with a kind smile.

              “Jeff,” Doreen said, drawing his attention to her. “I was also wondering… It would mean a lot to me if you could be the one to walk me down the aisle.”

              Jeff sat back, surprised. He hadn’t expected that one. In the past he might have said no to this request, he definitely would have said no to being a groomsman, but he was a changed man now. His years at Greendale had softened him. He sighed. “Now, how could I say no to a request like that?”

              Doreen beamed and Jeff allowed himself a small smile. He never could stand the idea of disappointing her.

              After dinner, he was on his way to his car when Rich called out to stop him. Jeff stuffed his hands into his pockets and turned on the spot to face him. Rich took a step towards him so that they now stood about a foot apart in the middle of Doreen’s front yard. It was dark outside, the only illumination they had to see by was the light filtering through Doreen’s window blinds.

              Rich was quiet. He patted his leg distractedly and gazed off to the side, not making eye contact.

              “Yes?” Jeff prompted. Standing outside in the cold with Rich was not on his to-do list.

              “I’m sorry,” Rich finally said. “For what I said at the party. I didn’t know. About the fire.”

              “Oh.”

              “Yeah.” There was silence between them again.

              “You know,” Rich continued. “It’s funny, I’m not really used to being the bad guy. I’m not very good at apologizing.”

              Jeff studied the grass beneath his shoes. He wondered what the scene must look like to anyone watching from the windows. “Well, I _am_ used to being the bad guy, and it doesn’t make apologizing any easier. So, thanks. Apology accepted, I guess.” He dug the toe of his boot into the ground and then looked up with a begrudged sigh, “We’re going to be family soon, after all. No good having animosity between brothers.”

              Rich was grinning at him. He extended his arms a took a step forward, going for a hug.

              Jeff held up one hand and stepped back. “Nope. Not there yet.” He turned his back and headed for his car. He gave Rich a wave over his shoulder. “See you around, Santa Fe.”

* * *

 

              Every Friday night, Jeff and Annie had a Skype date. There was a two-hour time difference, so sometimes it was hard to coordinate, but they usually managed to get a few minutes together every week. It was their only guaranteed time to talk. It was hard to describe how good it was to see her face at the end of a long week. Technology was a Godsend when it came to long-distance relationships.

              “You’ll never guess who just found out they’re a groomsman at their mother’s wedding,” Jeff said, starting off the conversation without even a hello.

              “I’m guessing you?” she answered, looking amused.

              “You’d be very proud of me. I didn’t even make a face when George asked.”

              Annie gave him a skeptical look. “Not sure I believe you.”

              “I was very gracious. Plus, I kinda owe him. Hearing him tell Rich to shut up was the highlight of their engagement party."

              “See? I think you’d like him if you gave him a chance.”

              “How’s Alaska?” Jeff asked, quickly changing the subject. She rolled her eyes at him but allowed it.

              “It’s pretty amazing. It’s so beautiful here.” She looked off camera at what Jeff assumed to be the window. “Pictures don’t do it justice. You should see the mountains!”

              “Colorado has mountains.”

              Annie shook her head. “Not like these.”

              Jeff shifted slightly and cleared his throat. “Hey. So, you’re not doing anything dangerous, right? You’re being safe?” He wasn’t asking about her after work activities and she knew it.

              “You know I can’t –”

              “I know. But you’re safe?”

              She smiled sympathetically and nodded once. “I’m safe.”

              Jeff blew out a gentle breath. “Good.” He couldn’t help but worry. He hated to keep bugging her about it, especially when he knew that she couldn’t tell him anything. But he was afraid the one time he didn’t ask would be the one time that it mattered. “So, what _can_ you tell me about?”

              “I went hiking!” she said, excitedly. He could see her bouncing in her seat and it made him smile.

              “In the mountains?” he asked teasingly.

              “How’d you guess?”

* * *

 

              Jeff pulled up in front of the house. He didn’t have to doublecheck the address to make sure he was in the right place; the poker chip shaped balloons tied to the mailbox were a dead giveaway. He rolled his eyes as he walked past them, headed for the front door. Only George could manage to make something as cool as a poker game bachelor’s party look lame.

              Inside the house was loud. Music was playing and most of the guests were already crowded around the three rented poker tables that had been set up in the center of the room. Everyone was talking and laughing. Jeff’s plan of being fashionably late had worked like a charm. With everyone having already arrived, he was able to easily slip in without attracting attention. He was here to show his face and have a few drinks, not make new friends.

              Jeff moved around the outskirts of the party, heading for the back where he could see people emerging with drinks in hand. A table along the back wall had been set up as makeshift bar. George, or maybe the best man, had actually put together a pretty decent selection. Behind the table, a guy in a black silk vest stood ready to take drink orders.

              Jeff stepped up to the table and ordered himself a scotch.

              “I was starting to think you weren’t going to make it!” a familiar voice called as they clapped him on the back in greeting.

              “Hey, Rich,” Jeff replied, raising his voice to be heard over the sound of the party. He nodded at the bar and held up a twenty-dollar bill folded between two fingers. “What’s your poison? My treat.”

              “I don’t drink,” Rich answered.

              Jeff rolled his eyes. “And who’s surprised by that?”

              “I’m sorry?”

              “Don’t worry about it, Dr. Do-Right. Do you at least want a soda?”

              Rich laughed before turning to the bartender. “Water, please.”

              Jeff rolled his eyes again and stuffed the twenty into the tip jar that sat on the corner of the bar. “I’ll be back,” he told the bartender before stepping away to lean against the nearest wall.

              “So,” Rich said, coming up to stand beside him, water glass in hand. “I heard that you’ve been teaching law at Greendale. You must really like it there.”

              “The Stockholm Syndrome hasn’t set in quite that hard yet. I’ll admit that it’s not terrible, but I won’t go beyond that.”

              Rich grinned. “You know, Jeff, I wish I had your gift for humor. I’ve always been jealous of that.”

              Jeff turned to look at Rich with raised eyebrows. He expected to find Rich mocking him, but instead found him looking back at him, totally sincere. “Why would you be jealous of _me_? Everybody loves you. You’re Dr. Popularity.”

              Rich shook his head. “People like me because I’m a nice guy. That doesn’t make me popular. Not that I mind. Being popular sounds like a lot of pressure. I just think it would be nice to be able to make people laugh sometimes.”

              Before Jeff could respond, Rich was moving away from him, headed for the nearest card table. “Wanna come play?” he asked.

              “As much as would love to kick your ass in poker, I think I’m going to sit this one out. Not feeling very sociable today.”

              “Okay. I guess I’ll leave you to it, then. But if you change your mind...”

              Jeff watched Rich for a moment before wandering away, looking for a safe, out of the way spot to be alone. His solitude was short-lived though. It was like the Stephenson clan had Winger-seeking missiles. They just kept finding him.

              “Jeff!” George called out to him. “I’m so glad you could make it!”

              “The invitation said free booze. How could I stay away?” Jeff joked, raising his glass.

              George crossed the distance between them and sat down heavily beside him. “I noticed that you and Rich are getting along better. That’s good.”

              Jeff let out a short laugh. “Yeah, we made up.”

              “You weren’t friends in school, I take it?”

              “I’m very competitive and Rich is hard to compete with,” Jeff half-explained into his glass.

              George shot him a questioning look.

              “He was better than me at pottery,” Jeff clarified.

              The corner of George’s mouth quirked up. “So, all of that bad blood was over a pot?”

              “Did I mention the part where I’m very competitive?” Jeff intended to leave it at that, but something made him keep talking. “Also, Annie used to be interested in him. I am both competitive and jealous.”

              George nodded. “Gotcha.”

              Jeff kept his eyes down, focusing on swirling the amber liquid around in his glass instead of on the silence that now stretched between them. He’d had two conversations at this party thus far and they’d both somehow managed to delve into the realm of the emotional. Emotional was not something Jeff was very comfortable with.

              “I really am glad you came,” George finally said, breaking the silence. “I know you don’t really care much for me, so I appreciate you being here.”

              Jeff flinched. “I guess I was more obvious than intended.”

              George laughed. “You’re not quite as slick as you think you are.”

              “Yeah, I’ve heard that before…” If they were doing emotional, then Jeff might as well go all in. It needed to be said anyway. He took a sip from his drink, feeling the burn of liquid courage before speaking, “Since the cat is out of the bag, I want to –” He cleared his throat once. “I want to apologize. I never gave you the chance.”

              When Jeff looked up at George, he was surprised to find him smiling. “I’ll win you over one of these days,” George said, with a confident smile. “Now come on, let’s go play cards. It’s a party after all.” He got to his feet and turned, offering Jeff a hand up.

              Jeff felt the corners of his lips twitch towards a smile. He reached out and grabbed onto George’s wrist, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet.

* * *

 

              Jeff was sitting on the couch with Tyler, his cellphone in hand. Tyler was playing _Overwatch_ again and Jeff was trying to pay attention, but it was pretty hard to follow the gameplay when he kept compulsively checking his phone. It was Friday night. He had a Skype date.

              Tyler offered him the controller but he declined. He didn’t want to risk missing his phone ring. Annie had been really busy lately and there was good chance that this call would be a short one.

              He was starting to worry that their date might be getting canceled when the familiar sound of an incoming Skype call made his heart leap. He quickly swiped across the screen and was greeted with her smiling face.

              “Sorry I’m so late!” she hurriedly apologized. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail and she looked slightly frazzled. She was walking around her apartment while she talked. She’d clearly just gotten home. “I have been _swamped_ this week.”

              “Better late than never,” Jeff said. “Hey, you wanna say hi to Tyler real quick?” Jeff moved on the couch so that he and Tyler were both in frame.

              Tyler looked away from the TV screen to smile and wave at Jeff’s phone. “Hey, Annie!” he greeted. “We miss you!”

              “Aw! I miss you guys, too,” she replied, looking touched. “How’s Jeff doing with homework help? Has he gotten any better?”

              Tyler shot Jeff a mischievous smile, “Well if he would just learn to apply himself…”

              “Alright! Enough of that!” Jeff got up from the couch while Annie and Tyler laughed. He went into his bedroom and closed the door behind him. He figured he’d leave Tyler in peace to play his game and that he would give he and Annie some privacy. This was date night, after all.

              “So, how was work?” Annie asked. She’d finally stopped moving around and had settled onto the couch. She looked exhausted. So definitely a short call tonight.

              Jeff shrugged and laid back on the bed. “Same old, same old. I talk, students listen. I’m sure my day was supremely uninteresting compared to yours.”

              “You never know.”

              “That’s true,” he amended. “You never know. So, how was your day? More interesting than Leonard getting caught renting out the Dean’s office on Airbnb?”

              “Definitely not!” Annie laughed. “But I did do something pretty fun after work today.”

              “Do tell.”

              “You know, I would tell you…” She leaned back on the couch and looked off camera. “But it is just so hot in here. It’s distracting.” She held up four rectangular slips of white paper and began fanning herself with them.

              Jeff sat up quickly and tried to keep the hope from rising in his chest. “Annie, those aren’t what I think they are, are they?”

              “Hm?” She looked back at her phone screen then at the slips of paper in her hand. “Oh? These? These are just plane tickets into Denver for the weekend of your mother’s wedding.”

              Jeff felt like his face was going to split in two. “Annie!”

              She was laughing again, her smile matching his.

              This was the best news he could have received. In a few weeks, Annie would be home. It was only for the weekend, but he would take it. He would take any time with her that he could get.

* * *

 

              “Troy!” Jeff shouted, jogging down the hallway to catch up with his friend.

              Troy turned at the sound of his name and smiled. “Sup?” he greeted as Jeff caught up to him. They both started moving in the direction of the cafeteria, walking side by side.

               “Hey, so, would it be okay if Tyler stayed with you tonight?” Jeff asked quickly.

              “Yeah, of course,” Troy answered happily. “You know he can come over anytime he wants.” Then he paused, looking deep in thought like he was trying to remember something. “Wait, isn’t Annie flying in tonight?”

              Jeff didn’t answer. He stared straight ahead as he walked, trying to keep his face neutral.

              Troy came to a sudden halt. “Are you asking me to babysit your kid so you and Annie can be _alone_?”

              Jeff stopped, too, and rolled his eyes. So much for subtlety. “Yes, Troy. I haven’t seen my girlfriend in over three months. That is exactly what I’m doing.”

              Troy gave him a look of vague disgust. “Dude, she’s like my little sister. I didn’t need to know that!”

              “Then unknow it.”

              Troy shot him one last look before continuing down the hall, leaving Jeff behind. “My last class ends at 3:00,” he called over his shoulder. “Bring him by any time after that.”

* * *

 

              Jeff stood in front of the full-length mirror as he retied his tie for the third time. It felt like the knot in his stomach was as tight as the one around his neck. He didn’t know why he was so nervous. It’s not like he was the one getting shackled. He watched the other groomsmen in the mirror as they lightheartedly teased George about getting cold feet. No one but Jeff appeared to be the least bit nervous.

              Someone Jeff didn’t recognize poked their head into the room. “You guys ready?” they asked.

              Everyone started filing towards the door, heading for the chapel. Jeff turned back to the mirror and smoothed down the front of his jacket a few times, trying to compose himself, before following the others out into the hallway. The bridesmaids were already waiting for them. Jeff stood to the side as they formed two parallel lines just like they had in rehearsal.

              George walked out first, taking the traditional spot at the altar, facing the front doors of the chapel.

              The music started and the line moved forward as, two by two, the groomsmen and bridesmaids walked down the aisle, arms linked. When they reached the altar they parted ways, going to their respective sides to line up and face the audience. Rich and his partner were the last ones in line. As soon as they had stepped out into the aisle, the doors started to close behind them, cutting off Jeff’s view.

              He took a steadying breath and focused on the ornate, carved doors in front of him. He heard her approach but waited until she was standing beside him before he looked. Doreen was dressed in simple, white lace dress. It wasn’t a traditional wedding dress, but it didn’t stop her from looking like a bride. He felt a warmth in his chest that he hadn’t been expecting and found himself having to look away.

              Jeff knew he should probably offer her best wishes or say something sweet but instead he muttered, “This guy had better treat you right.” His tone was light and joking, but he still couldn’t seem to meet her eye.

              Beside him Doreen chuckled. “Thank you,” she said quietly.

              “For what?”

              “For being here.”

              She didn’t say it, but Jeff knew that she wasn’t just thanking him for being at her wedding. She was thanking him for being present; for being in her life. He had spent a lot of years keeping himself distanced from her and he could never make up for that, but what mattered to her was that he was here now. He wanted to respond but he was afraid of what his voice might sound like if he did. Instead he offered her his arm, which she took with a knowing smile.

              The wedding march started playing inside the chapel and the doors in front of them slowly began opening. Jeff heard the sound of the guests getting to their feet and he stood up straighter, preparing to begin their slow processional down the aisle. He knew that Annie and his friends were somewhere in the audience, but he didn’t look for them. Instead he stayed focused on his mother’s arm on his.

              When they reached the altar, Jeff stooped to kiss her on the temple before standing upright and placing her hand in George’s.

* * *

 

              After the wedding, Jeff found his friends at the reception. They were all crowded around one of the tables of food. Each of them had their own individual bags of kettle corn and were happily stuffing their faces.

              “Jeff!” They greeted as he walked up, clearly ignoring the sour look on his face as he took in their snacks of choice.

              “What are you guys eating?” he asked as if he didn’t already know.

              “Kettle corn,” Frankie answered. “I’m not usually a snacky person, but this is really good. Try some!”

              “No thanks.” Held up his hand when Frankie offered him her open bag.

              “You’re so lucky Rich is your step-brother,” Troy said as he went for a second bag. “You can have this stuff at every family gathering now!”

              Jeff made a face. “Let’s hope not. It’s not like it’s even that good.”

              “Woa!” The whole group shouted at Jeff, looks of shock clear on their faces.

* * *

 

              Jeff sat alone at one of the tables positioned near the dance floor and watched as couples swirled around him, dancing to the upbeat swing music the band was playing. He leaned back in his chair with a smile as he watched one pair in particular. Annie and Tyler were laughing together as they spun around in time to the music. One of the things Jeff adored about Annie was how well she got along with Tyler. They had always gotten along, even when he was younger. Troy and Abed had been his playmates of choice, but when he wanted to talk or read he always went to Annie. Even now Tyler would sometimes go to her for advice instead of him. And never once did that fact bother him. It only proved that he had chosen the right partner.

              The song ended and the two of them stepped apart to clap, red-faced and smiling. The MC stepped up to the mic, asking everyone to clear the floor for the bride and groom’s first dance.

              A slow melody started and Doreen and George stepped out onto the floor to the sound of applause. George took Doreen’s hand in his and lead her out to the middle of the floor before taking her waist and beginning their slow waltz. Before long the MC was announcing that the bride and groom would like other couples to join them for the rest on the song.

              Jeff took one last sip from his drink before standing up and buttoning his jacket. He came up behind where Tyler and Annie stood watching. “Mind if I cut in?”

              Annie’s face lit up as she turned to see him standing behind her.

              “Sure, go ahead,” Tyler said. He was smiling, too, but was trying very hard to make it look like he wasn’t. “Slow songs are boring anyway.”

              Jeff held out his hand for Annie to take. “M’lady?”

              “M’lord,” she answered with a slight blush, placing her hand in his.

              Jeff spun her around once as they stepped out onto the dance floor before leading her in a slow, circling waltz.

              “You know, I never did ask,” Annie said, still smiling. “Where did you learn to dance?”

              “Are you kidding? This is God-given talent,” Jeff answered smugly.

              “Really?”

              “You doubt me? That stings, Edison.” She gave him a skeptical look. “Okay,” he amended. “I may have done cotillion in sixth grade.” Annie laughed out loud. “Hey, I had to do something to rein in all this raw talent. Also, it was a school requirement.”

              “I cannot imagine you at a cotillion,” she laughed.

              “I am perfectly at home amongst high class society, thank you very much.”

              She giggled and laid her head against his chest. He was sure she could hear his heart beating against his ribcage. Being near her always had the wonderful side effect of an elevated heartbeat. He rested his cheek against her hair and breathed a contented sigh out through his nose.

              They slowly rotated until Doreen and George were in their line of sight. “They seem really happy together,” Annie commented, not moving from her spot against his chest.

              “They do,” Jeff agreed. “And you know what? George is pretty okay.”

              Annie started to raise her head to look at him. “I told –”

              Jeff reached up and pressed her head back to his chest. “Don’t ruin it.”

              She giggled and relaxed back against him. They were quiet for a long while after that, both lost in thought.

              Jeff watched as George and Doreen spun in slow circles, each of them smiling and laughing as they talked. Doreen seemed happier than Jeff had seen her in a long time. Not that she was an unhappy person by any means, but her joy was elevated somehow. It was hard to believe that something as silly as getting married could be behind it.

              The music began to swell and the lights seemed to dim. Jeff felt his heart thrum in his chest as he looked down at the woman he loved, leaning against him as he held her in his arms. She looked up at him, too, and he smiled.

              “Maybe we should get married.”

              Wait. What?


	4. Chapter 4

              Jeff had stopped moving. They stood there, arms still around each other, stock still in the middle of the dance floor. From a distance, it might have looked like a romantic moment, but up close it was a much different scene.

              Jeff was staring down at Annie with his mouth open and eyes wide. It had definitely been his voice that said those words but he did not recall giving his mouth permission to speak them. He didn’t recall giving his brain permission to think them.

              Annie was staring back up at him, evidently just as stunned as he was.

              “What?” she finally managed. “Did you just –”

              “I –” Jeff cut her off but his words got lost somewhere on the way to his lips.

              “Did you mean that?”

              “I don’t know.” Truthfully, he didn’t. He didn’t know anything anymore.

              “You don’t know?”

              “I – Don’t know.”

              “Okay,” She started nodding slightly like she had been given a great deal of important information that she needed to process. Then, she shook her head once like she was snapping herself out of it. “But –”

              “I know.” The music had changed now. They needed to move if they didn’t want to draw even more attention to themselves. “I need a drink,” Jeff finally said. Truer words had never been spoken. “Do you –”

              “Yes.”

              “Right.”

              He dropped her hand and moved away, power walking in the direction of the bar. He made a slight detour to where Frankie stood with a small group of guests. She seemed to be introducing herself. Frankie was good with people. Jeff grabbed her arm as he passed. “Hi. Let’s talk.”

              “Jeff, I –” He didn’t let her finish as he dragged her away from her group. “It was nice meeting you!” she called to them as she disappeared from their view.

              Jeff lead her out into the venue’s hallway, ignoring her protests. The door shut behind them, instantly muffling the sound of the band continuing to play as if a crisis weren’t occurring.

              “I think I just asked Annie to marry me.”

              Frankie stopped struggling and looked up at Jeff with wide, amazed eyes. “What?” she asked, an open-mouthed smile forming on her face.

              “No. Stop smiling.”

              Frankie closed her mouth and cocked her head slightly. “Alright. I’m not sure what you want from me then.”

              “Help me!”

              “That’s not much clearer!”

              Jeff put his face in his hands. “Please don’t make me go get Britta. I can’t handle that right now.”

              “Okay,” she said. “So, you proposed?”

              He shook his head. “Not exactly. I said ‘We should get married.’ I kind of blurted it out. Accidently.”

              “And?” Frankie prompted.

              “And she didn’t look very happy.”

              “Neither do you.”

              “I’m not. I’m confused.”

              “Why?” she prompted again.

              “Because I don’t want to get married?” He said it like it should be obvious. Of course he didn’t want to get married.

              She pursed her lips at him. “Jeff, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think that you do.”

              “Come again?”

              She sighed. “I think, on some level, you must want to get married. Otherwise you wouldn’t have said it.”

              “I reject that analysis. Give me another one.”

              “I can’t give you another one. That’s the one that I’ve got.”

              “Try again.”

              Frankie pointed her thumbs at the door and made a half step towards it. “If you want a different opinion, I’d be happy to go get Britta –”

              “No!” Jeff reached out and grabbed her wrist, holding her in place.

              They stood in silence for a few seconds before Frankie asked, “So, what happened after you proposed?”

              “I didn’t propose. And I walked away to get us drinks.”

              “You just left her standing there?”

              “Yes.”

              She wrenched her arm from his grip and pointed sternly at the door.

              “You didn’t help me fix it!” he complained. “You’re supposed to fix stuff!”

              “You have to talk to her. Isn’t that what you’re good at? Talking?”

              “But –”

              “Go.”

              He looked at her pleadingly for a moment before heading back into the reception. After the quiet of the hallway the music was loud and disorienting. It didn’t help the headache he had forming right between his eyes. He made his way over to the bar and ordered two drinks. A Macallan neat for himself and an appletini for Annie. He was too preoccupied to find that drink order embarrassing right now. Plus, she would like it and he felt like he was going to need all the help he could get when it came to smoothing things over with her.

              He headed back in the direction of dance floor, scanning the crowd for her. He found her sitting at a nearby table. But she wasn’t alone. She and Britta were sitting beside each other, their heads bent close together, looking serious. Jeff stopped and groaned, his shoulders slouching forward. “Oh, fuck me.”

              He took a moment to collect himself before going to take a seat at the table. As he approached, Britta and Annie leaned away from each other, cutting their conversation short.

              Jeff set the drinks down on the table. “Here,” He slid Annie’s drink over to her. “I got you an appletini. You still like those, right?”

              She nodded. “Thanks,” she said, not meeting his eye.

              “Hello, Britta,” Jeff greeted stiffly, trying to keep his hostility in check. “I didn’t know you were over here, so I didn’t get you anything.”

              Britta was giving him a smug look from across the table. “That’s okay. Not thirsty.”

              The three of them sat in silence. Annie kept her eyes down, electing to study the condensation droplets on the outside of her glass rather than look at her table companions.

              Mercifully, their awkward silence was broken by Tyler bounding up to the table.

              “Hey, Annie. Wanna dance?” Another fast swing song was playing. Jeff hadn’t noticed until just this moment. The silence at the table had been too deafening.

              “Um. Not right now,” Annie answered awkwardly. “Sorry.”

              “I’ll dance with you,” Britta offered, holding out her hand for him to take.

              “Weird vibe over here,” Tyler muttered to her as they retreated.

              Britta shot one last look over her shoulder at Jeff and Annie seated at the table. “You’re tellin’ me.”

              Jeff waited until Britta and Tyler were out of earshot before speaking. He didn’t know what he wanted to say, but he had to say something. “Annie –”

              “It’s okay,” She cut him off.

              “What?”

              “It’s okay if you don’t want to get married.” She looked at him then and smiled. His expression must have been comical. “There’s no need to look so freaked out. This isn’t a fight. I’m just letting you know.”

              “Okay…” Jeff began slowly, “But I thought you wanted to get married.”

              Annie shrugged and looked away, her eyes focusing on the band as they played. “I’ve thought about it and it doesn’t really matter, does it? You still want to be with me, right?”

              “Of course!” He reached out to take her hand in his.

              She looked down at their clasped hands then up at his face, meeting his eyes. She gave his hand a light squeeze. “Then it doesn’t matter.”

* * *

 

              Annie was back on the dance floor. This time with George. Jeff stood off to the side, sipping on his third scotch of the night.

              Britta came up beside him as he stood there watching. “Interesting party, huh?”

              “She’s mad, isn’t she?” Jeff asked, inclining his glass toward where Annie and George were dancing.

              “She’s really not. Stop worrying. You’re not in the doghouse. Yet.”

              “I don’t understand.”

              Britta turned to him and sighed. “She isn’t going to try to change you. If she says she’s okay with things as they are, then she means it.”

              Jeff shook his head. “Something about this just doesn’t seem right.”

              “Then I think that says more about you than it does about her.”

              Jeff turned to look at Britta in bewilderment but found that she was already gone. He searched the crowd for her and found her several feet away, attempting to drag a protesting Troy in the direction of the band.

* * *

 

              Over the next two days, Jeff was amazed at how normal Annie was. She was behaving as if the whole world hadn’t just changed, when it most certainly had. For once Jeff was glad that she was leaving. He needed to think and she was distracting.

              “Are you okay?” Annie asked as they once again found themselves standing outside the airport.

              “Of course,” Jeff lied as he unloaded Annie’s suitcase from his trunk, grateful for an excuse to avoid eye contact without arousing suspicion.

              “Are you sure? You’ve been acting really strange.”

              Jeff rolled her suitcase around the car and handed it off to her. “I’m fine, I swear.”

              “F-I-N-E or F-Y-N-E?”

              Jeff rolled his eyes. “Why do you indulge them?”

              “Because they’re adorable. If you’d lived with them you’d have thought so, too.”

              “No, if I’d have lived with them I’d be in prison for murder.”

              Now it was Annie’s turn to roll her eyes. “Not funny. And, by the way, I noticed that you didn’t answer my question.”

              “It was a little funny. And I noticed that you’re going to miss your flight if you don’t get going.”

              Annie grabbed his wrist and held it up so that she could read his watch then sighed.

              “Fine, you’re right. I’d better go.”

              “F-I-N-E or F-Y-N-E?” Jeff asked with a smirk. She narrowed her eyes at him in response then stood up on tiptoes to give him one last kiss before heading for the sliding glass doors.

              “Don’t get eaten by bears!” Jeff called to her with a wave. As soon as she was out of sight he was getting back into his car to drive straight home. He needed to think.

* * *

 

              Marriage would change their lives dramatically. One of them would have to move, unless they wanted to keep living separately. And if they did that, there wasn’t a lot of point in getting married at all. Well, except for legal purposes. Annie’s job had the potential to be dangerous. The thought of not being allowed to see her in the hospital if she ever got hurt was almost a convincing enough reason on its own. Jeff couldn’t see her quitting her job anytime soon. She loved working for the FBI. If they got married, she could request to be transferred the Denver field office, but she wasn’t up for reassignment for another two years. And he doubted she would be happy in a smaller office. Washington was where the action was.

              Obviously, then, it made sense for Jeff to be the one to move. He could teach or practice law anywhere, provided he passed that state’s Bar Exam. Teaching at Greendale was kind of the perfect gig, though. He’d never get another job that let him get away with not working as much as Greendale did. Craig and Frankie were pretty alright as far as bosses go, too. But, then again, Jeff could find a way to slack off in any job he took. So, he would move to wherever Annie was. Except that meant moving Tyler, too. Ripping Tyler away from his family and friends to move across the country seemed like a bad idea. And Jeff wasn’t sure he could cope without the safety net Doreen and his friends provided him. They were life savers when it came to making his day run smoothly sometimes. If he ever needed someone to pick Tyler up from school or stay home with him when he was sick or babysit him when Jeff was sick, he had people who could help.

              Although, if they were married, Annie would be his safety net. They could share that responsibility. That’s what normal families did. At least, that was the rumor. Neither he nor Annie had ever belonged to a normal family. Tyler, too, for that matter.

              When he thought of himself, he never thought of himself as a family man. It was strange but true. The whole idea of the wife and dog and two point five kids was appealing, but in the way that imagining winning the lottery was appealing. It’s something he wanted, but had never expected to have. He wouldn’t even know how to be married; how to be a good husband. Sometimes he still felt like he didn’t have the boyfriend thing down pat quite yet. Now here he was. On the precipice. Did he stay where he was? Where he was comfortable? Or did he leap into the unknown?

              Life went on as normal, but everyday those words echoed in the back of Jeff’s mind: _Maybe we should get married_. He felt like he was going crazy. He kept having the same arguments over and over again in his head and the winning side changed daily. He needed advice.

* * *

 

              Jeff took a steadying breath and brought his phone his ear. He listened to it ring a few times before she picked up.

              “Hello?”

              “Hey, Mom. It’s Jeff. How’re you?”

              “Oh! Hello! It’s good to hear from you! I’m just fine. How’re you doing?” Came Doreen’s cheerful reply.

              Jeff smiled. He could always count on Doreen to be in a good mood. “I’m alright,” he answered. “How’s George?”

              “He’s good! He’s taken to building birdhouses for the backyard, so he’s happy.”

              Jeff laughed. “How stereotypical.”

              “What?”

              “Never mind. So, I was calling to ask: Could I take you out to dinner this weekend? There’s something I want to talk about.”

* * *

 

 

              Three days later, Jeff and Doreen were sitting across from each other at Morty’s Steakhouse.

              “I can’t believe I’ve never eaten here before,” Doreen said, smiling at Jeff from across the table. “I haven’t had a good steak in a long time.”

              Jeff nodded, distractedly. They were almost done with dinner. He was running out of time.

              “Do you mind… Can I ask you a few questions?” he finally said, shifting uncomfortably.

              Doreen smiled encouragingly. “Of course.”

              “A few questions… about William?” He figured it would be better to just rip that Band-aid off now.

              Doreen’s smile faltered. Now it was her turn to look uncomfortable. “Wouldn’t it be better if you asked him? Aren’t you two on speaking terms now?”

              “Not really. Willy, yes. Dad, not so much. I send him a Christmas card every year, but that’s about it.”

              Doreen sat up straighter in her chair like she was bracing herself. “Ask away, then.”

              “Do you ever regret getting married?”

              Doreen looked surprised. “Wow. Hard hitting questions right out of the gate.”

              “Sorry,” Jeff apologized. He fought the urge to avert his eyes. Conversations like these made him uncomfortable, but he had to talk to someone or he would go nuts. And honestly, he couldn’t think of anyone else he would rather get advice from. He valued her opinion. Even if it made him uncomfortable.

              “No, I don’t regret it. I got you, didn’t I?”

              “Take me out of the equation.”

              “That’s pretty hard to do,” Doreen responded with a kind smile. After a moment of thought she continued, “I don’t regret it, exactly. I learned a lot from the experience. But I guess that, maybe I might have been too young. Too inexperienced. I could have saved myself some unhappy years if I’d paid more attention to the warning signs.”

              “Warning signs?”

              “The drinking, the partying. He had a history, you know.” Jeff nodded. He did know. “But I thought that would all go away once we had you. I thought it might force some maturity.”

              “Maturity would have helped?” Jeff pressed.

              Doreen shrugged. “Maybe. William did what William wanted.”

              “And what about George?” Jeff asked. “You seem happy with him. Are you?”

              “I am. It’s never been an issue with George. We just… Work. Like it was meant to be.”

              “So, you don’t fight?”

              Doreen laughed. “Of course we fight! We’re human, after all. But even through the arguments, we still know we love each other.”

              Jeff looked down at his plate. His mother had given him a lot to think about. He’d never bothered to learn much about his parents’ marriage before. It had never crossed his mind to care about anything beyond the fact that it hadn’t worked out. It was surprising to find that even after it had all ended so horribly, she hadn’t been disillusioned with the whole institution like he had.

              Doreen had known going into her relationship with William what kind of man he was. He probably had no intention of upholding his end of the vows, and Doreen knew that, but hoped she could change him. The reason it hadn’t worked was because they were incompatible. It wouldn’t have worked out regardless. Marriage itself isn’t the lie. It’s people that lie. If you get married, it needs to be for the right reasons. You don’t need a perfect relationship. You just need one based on something more than a lie.

              “What’s all this about?” Doreen asked, drawing Jeff out of his own thoughts.

              Jeff smiled. “I can’t tell you just yet,” he explained. “But I promise this has been very helpful. Now,” He sat back and grabbed the menu that was still on the edge of the table, “How about some dessert?”

              Doreen laughed lightly. “Dessert? You?”

              Jeff shrugged. “It’s a special occasion.”


	5. Chapter 5

              Jeff paced his apartment fretfully. Talking to his mother had been supremely helpful, but there was one more person he needed to talk to before he could fully make a decision. Talking to Doreen had been about getting information. That information, while important, hadn’t been a make or break situation. He might have still arrived at this state of mind even if that conversation had gone poorly. The conversation he was about to have could easily change everything. Nervous didn’t even begin to cover it.

              He took a deep breath and turned on his heel, striding right up to the door and knocking twice.

              The door opened and Tyler stood in his bedroom doorway, looking up at Jeff expectantly. “What’s up?”

              “Hey. Can we – Can I talk to you for a minute?” Jeff said. His voice sounded tense.

              Tyler slightly furrowed his brow but stepped aside, inviting Jeff into his room. Jeff crossed the floor and moved to the edge of Tyler’s bed to sit down. He felt a little unsteady on his feet.

              “Take a seat,” Jeff said, patting the mattress next to him. Tyler looked wary but joined him on the bed.

              Jeff cleared his throat. “So, I’ve, uh – I’m thinking about asking Annie to marry me. And I wanted to ask you how you felt about that. You know. Before.”

              “Oh, is that all? I thought someone was dead or something.”

              “What do you mean ‘ _Is that all_ ’? I just told you that I’m going to propose to my girlfriend!”

              Tyler grinned at Jeff’s sudden outburst. “You’re very dramatic. Has anyone ever told you that?”

              Jeff blinked at his son for a solid few seconds before he could speak. His brain was having to rewire itself. This was not at all how he expected this to go. Tyler seemed to be taking his announcement in stride, like it was completely expected and not at all life altering. “Tyler, be serious,” he finally said.

              Tyler let out a huge sigh but he was still smiling. “You guys have been together for years. She pretty much lives here when she’s in town and she already goes to more of our family functions than we do. The getting married part seemed pretty inevitable.”

              Inevitable?

              “I just want to make sure you’re okay with it,” Jeff said, his tone much more serious than Tyler’s. The boy had lived with him far too long. He’d already begun to pick up on how to hide behind his humor. Jeff needed to make sure that all of this was really okay. “It’s always just been the two of us. Getting married would add a whole third person into the mix. She’d be your step-mother. That’s kind of a big change. For both of us.”

              “I know.” Tyler kept his eyes down, watching his feet as he swung them gently back and forth, the bottoms of his feet brushing the floor. “But I love Annie and I like having her around. Will it take some getting used to? Sure. But so did coming to live with you, and look how that turned out.”

              Tyler raised his eyes to meet Jeff’s and they shared a smile. “I trust your judgement.”

              “Even if we have to move?” Jeff hated to interrupt their moment with potentially deal-breaking details, but it had to be said.

              Tyler let out a beleaguered sigh but nodded. “Even if we have to move.” Then after a moment he added, “But if I get a vote, I’d like to stay here.”

              “You’ll always get a vote,” Jeff leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Tyler, crushing him into a hug. “Thank you.”

              “Yeah, yeah,” Tyler muttered, his voice muffled by Jeff’s torso, as he pushed against him, freeing himself from the hug.

              Jeff got up and almost skipped to the door. He turned to shut it behind him but Tyler was already there. “You two crazy kids just might make this work,” he said with a teasing grin as closed the door between them.

              Jeff smiled and shook his head, reaching into his pocket for his phone. He had plans to make.

* * *

 

              Finally, after over a month of planning and waiting, Annie was coming home. She was flying into Colorado on her way back to DC, just like he had expected her to. Sometimes dating someone so predictable had its perks. He hadn’t had to risk ruining the surprise by trying to subtly manipulate her into visiting.

              When he picked her up from the airport, like he always did, he was surprised by how quickly she caught on to something being off. And he thought he’d being playing it so cool. What happened to the guy who could easily convince the Dean he’d both shot someone and been shot in order to teach him a lesson on conspiracies?

              “Are you sure you’re okay?” Annie asked for the millionth time. “You’re still acting strange.”

              “I think you’re just delirious from the flight. I am not acting strange. Stop worrying so much.”

              “Okay, if you say so.”

              Five hours later they were outside The Vineyard, the same restaurant that Jeff and Abed had eaten at together for Abed’s birthday during their sophomore year. Jeff handed off his keys to the valet, barely taking the time to wait for his ticket before hauling Annie inside.

              “Jeff, what is with you?” she asked. She was struggling to keep up with Jeff’s long-legged gait, incumbered as she was in her dress and heels. “I thought you hated friend dinners.”

              “No, I hate Señor Kevin’s,” Jeff corrected, slowing his pace to allow Annie to walk alongside him normally. “When _I_ plan friend dinners I pick somewhere I don’t have to be embarrassed to be seen in. Somewhere classy.” He adjusted his tie as if to demonstrate his point. She rolled her eyes at him but smiled anyway.

              Jeff lead her straight to the main dining room, skipping past the hostess station. They already had a table. “Ta-da,” he said, as they turned the corner, revealing their group, who were once again taking over the largest table in the restaurant. Only this time the group had grown in size. The expected guests were all present and accounted for, of course, but the surprise was the inclusion of Abed, Shirley, and Elroy. “It’s a full Nipple Dippers reunion.”

              Annie’s jaw dropped in surprise.

              “I did not agree to that name, just so everyone here is clear on that,” Shirley said, shooting Jeff a look of motherly disapproval even though the name hadn’t been his idea.

              “Me neither,” Frankie chimed in. “I’m not a part of that.”

              “Solidarity,” Shirley said with a nod as she and Frankie reached across the table to high-five.

              “But it’s so catchy!” The Dean argued, looking between the two of them and Britta nodded in agreement.

              “I already own the domain, so it’s a done deal.” Abed held up his phone in demonstration, showing off the website that proudly featured a Nipple Dippers group photo on the home page.

              “I like it,” Troy said from beside him. “ _Nipple Dippers_. Sounds sexy.”

              “Sexy and memorable,” Elroy pointed out.

              “Which is perfect for this group,” Chang threw in, ignoring the looks Frankie and Shirley were giving him.

              By this point Annie was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, her hands clasped beneath her chin. “You guys!” She rushed forward and everyone got up with smiles on their faces, taking turns hugging her. “I can’t believe everyone is here!”

              “Not everyone,” Troy said. “LaVar was a ‘no’. Sorry.”

              Annie laughed and threw her arms around her former roommate. “It’s okay. I think I’ll forgive you.”

              Jeff had been very careful not to mention anything to Annie about the guest list for their little soiree. He hadn’t wanted her know which friends were in town. It had been worth the effort to see her face light up like that, but it also served another purpose. The initial surprise would throw her off her game. She’d stop looking for clues and strange behavior if she thought the surprise had already happened.

              When they had all finally settled down enough to resume their seats around the table, Annie was quickly swept up in conversation. She was so busy catching up with the friends she hadn’t seen in almost a full year and answering all the questions everyone had for her about Alaska that Jeff could barely get a word in, but he didn’t mind. Even when she was talking to everybody else, she held on tight to his hand beneath the table.

              Dinner went by without a hitch. Conversation ebbed and flowed as easily as it ever had. The Group was back together in the fullest sense of the word. Everyone was here. It had taken a lot of effort to get everyone here at the same time on the same day. But he had done it. Not just for Annie or for himself, but because they all deserved to be here for this. After everything they had gone through together, after the almost eight years of friendship with most of them, having them here felt right. They were part of the Jeff-and-Annie story.

              When the dinner plates had been cleared, Jeff spotted the waiter approaching with a tray. Everything was going according to plan. “Dessert,” the server announced as he stepped up to the table.

              Annie turned her head in the direction of the announcement, but Jeff intercepted, easily capturing her attention and drawing her eyes away from the tray as the server set a plate down in front of each person at the table. Jeff kept Annie’s eyes on him until the server had stepped away.

              When he’d finally released her from his thrall, he sat back to watch as she looked down her plate. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. The cupcake in front of her was a seemingly odd choice for such a fancy restaurant, made even odder by the way it was decorated. It was a vanilla cupcake with white icing and the paper liner around the cupcake was white with a lacy, floral pattern. Little edible pearls had been pressed into the icing in the shape of a necklace. Over the back, a tiny piece of tulle had been draped so that it resembled a veil.

              Annie’s eyes flitted over to the other plates around the table. Everyone else’s cupcake was totally nondescript. Just chocolate with vanilla icing. She looked back at hers and then over to Jeff’s, which, to her obvious surprise, was also specially decorated. His was chocolate with chocolate icing. A little black fondant bowtie and top hat rested against the icing so that it resembled a tuxedo. Their cupcakes were a matching pair.

              He watched as realization dawned on her. He could hear his pulse in his ears. By the time she looked up at him, he was already holding out the black velvet box.

              Her hands flew to her mouth. “What –?”

              “I hope that’s a look of good surprise,” Jeff joked. He’d been hoping for a smile, but instead she just looked like she was in shock.

              “But, you said –”

              Jeff took a deep calming breath, and when he spoke his voice came out even and sure. “I know what I said before. I thought that was what I wanted, but I was wrong. I’ve come to the conclusion that marriage isn’t stupid. Not if it’s with you. I don’t know where we’ll live or what we’ll do, but I do know that we’ll make it work. We always have.”

              Her eyes focused on Jeff as he opened the box to reveal a thin golden band, topped with a simple diamond cluster. Elegant and classy, just like it’s intended wearer. “Annie Edison, I am in love with you and I want to marry you. Please say yes.”

              The tears had started flowing during his speech and when she finally moved her hands away from her mouth, she was smiling. She looked into his eyes and nodded vigorously, completely unable to speak through her tears.

              He felt his face split into the goofiest smile, but he didn’t even care. He was happy. She threw her arms around his neck and the whole table burst into applause. When she finally pulled away from him, she seemed to have controlled herself enough that she had stopped crying. Seconds later however, when had taken her left hand and gently slid the ring onto her finger, she dissolved into tears all over again.

              Jeff kept his arm around her shoulders for the rest of dinner, grinning as everyone admired her ring and congratulated them. By the time they were leaving the restaurant his cheeks were hurting from the sheer amount of smiling he had been doing, but he couldn’t seem to stop.

* * *

 

              Jeff turned the key in the door of his apartment and held it open for Annie to enter first. She stepped in and looked around. “No Tyler?” she asked.

              Jeff felt his face ache as he smiled again for what felt like the thousandth time that night. He had planned ahead. While they’d been at dinner Doreen had come by to whisk Tyler away. They had the weekend all to themselves. “He’ll be back on Sunday,” Jeff said as he shut the door behind them.

              When he turned back around Annie had her bottom lip between her teeth and was studying him with sultry eyes. It took him a few seconds before he remembered how to breathe.

              “So, we’re engaged,” she said, taking a step towards him.

              “Yes, we are,” he agreed, reaching out for her as she moved closer to him. His hands were itching to touch her.

              She stood up on tiptoes and pressed a lingering kiss to his lips. “Should we celebrate?”

              “Dear God, yes,” he breathed against her mouth before scooping her legs out from under her and wrapping them around his waist, moving in the direction of his bedroom door.

* * *

 

              They were laying side by side in bed, early afternoon sun filtering in through the blinds. They had been awake for hours but neither one of them wanted to get out of bed just yet. They were too comfortable and the moment was too perfect to disrupt.

              Jeff turned his head and watched as Annie stretched her arm out above her head, admiring her ring as the sun glinted off of it. He smiled and rolled onto his stomach, propping himself up on his elbows so that he was looking down at her. “What does the future Mrs. Winger want to do today?”

              She smiled up at him, her brown eyes sparkling. “Future Mrs. Edison-Winger,” she corrected.

              “Sorry, Edison-Winger,” he amended, dipping his head to nuzzle gently against her neck.

              She giggled as his nose tickled her collarbone and rolled so that she was on her side facing him. He lay back down and matched her pose, facing her.

              “Let’s just stay here all day.”

              “What about food?” he asked.

              “Who needs food?” she questioned back. As if on que her stomach gurgled impressively.

              He shot her an amused look. “Humans need food,” he said as he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, preparing to get up and make the voyage into the kitchen for sustenance.

              “Now, where did you hear a silly thing like that?” she asked, stretching out beneath the covers, taking advantage of the extra space she now had.

              “I think I might have learned it in biology class.”

              “No, wait!” she reached out and grabbed his elbow before he could get out of bed. “Stay here. I promise I’m not that hungry. Just a few minutes longer?”

              “Annie…”

              “Maybe we could go over some of the other things we learned about in biology?” she said flirtatiously.

              Jeff moaned as he fell back into bed. God, he was weak willed.

              She placed her hand against his face and guided him towards her, claiming his mouth with hers.

              His body moved of its own accord, positioning himself so that he was on top of her. He pulled away breathlessly and looked down at his beautiful fiancé lying beneath him. “You are very devious, you know that?”

              “Hi kettle, it’s me, pot.”

              “We need to get up,” he said, brushing his lips along her jawline as he spoke. “We need fuel if we’re going to keep doing this.”

              Her stomach growled again and she sighed. “Fine.”

              She dragged herself out of bed, pouting as she pulled one of Jeff’s t-shirts over her head and following him out into the kitchen. She settled onto one of the stools at the breakfast bar while Jeff dug through the fridge, looking for something to make for lunch.

              “Why so reluctant to get out of bed?” he asked conversationally, straightening up with his arms full with the ingredients to make vegetable omelets.

              “Because when you get out of bed you have to officially start your day.”

              Jeff set all the ingredients down on the counter and got to work melting butter and cracking eggs. “And that’s bad because?”

              She fished her phone out her purse where she’d left it on the bar the night before and clicked a few buttons before holding it up for Jeff to hear an automated voice announce, “You have six new messages.”

              “All from work,” she muttered, staring almost angrily at her phone screen.

              “You’re on vacation,” Jeff said with a shrug. “Ignore it.”

              “I’m basically never on vacation. This job is pretty 24/7. Counter terrorism doesn’t care that I’m celebrating my engagement.” Even in her sour mood, that word still seemed to make her smile.

              Jeff flipped the first omelet onto a plate and set it down in front of Annie. “So, work’s not going so well lately?”

              “Work is work,” she mumbled around a mouthful of egg and cheese.

              “Uh huh.” Not the most insightful answer she could have given.

              Jeff was halfway through making the second omelet when she spoke again. “You know, I thought this job was perfect for me. I wanted to travel and do exciting things. I thought I’d willingly put in my twenty years and retire at forty-three. But I don’t think I want to do that anymore. I don’t think I want to be in DC.”

              “What? Why?”

              She sat up straighter and looked around the kitchen as she thought. “It’s just so… Political. And it’s such a big office. Maybe if I were in one of the smaller field offices I might be happier. I just don’t like being one of the many. I don’t feel like I contribute anything meaningful when you look at the big picture, you know?”

              She was quiet as she took the last few bites of her food. Jeff finished up making his omelet and joined her at the bar.

              “I think you have perfect timing, by the way,” she said with a genuine smile. “I was looking for a sign that I should quit when I come up for reassignment. I think this was that sign.” She waggled her left hand at him, showing off her ring. “No point in potentially making you move all the way to Washington, DC for a job I don’t even want. Maybe I’ll look into something local.”

              Jeff felt that familiar sensation of hope rising in his chest. “Really?”

              She nodded and he immediately leaned in to kiss her, placing his hand against the back of her head, fingers curling into her hair.

              “I believe you promised to teach me some more about biology,” he said, pressing his forehead to hers.

              She giggled. “After I do some work. I really have to call these people back.”

              He growled in mock frustration before getting to his feet. “Fine, go save the world. I’ll do the dishes.”

* * *

 

              Dropping Annie off at the airport always sucked, but this time it sucked slightly less. He was no longer dropping off his girlfriend, he was dropping off his fiancé. Her weekend with him had been amazing. Perfect. Everything he could have planned or hoped for.

              On Sunday they had gone to visit his mom so that they could pick up Tyler and be doted on by Doreen and George. Tyler seemed really excited about getting a step-mother and Annie was really looking forward to being a step-mother. Doreen was teary-eyed the whole visit. She was over the moon about Annie joining the family. She already thought of her as a daughter. They even stuck around long enough for George to show off a few of the birdhouses he had made and Jeff only mocked him a little bit.

              But now it was Monday and Annie had to leave. Jeff had cancelled his morning classes so that he could take her to the airport. She had tried to tell him that he needed to be at school, but there was no way he wasn’t dropping her off. He had a rule. He always had to be the first one she saw when she got here and the last one she saw when she left.

              He pulled her in for a crushing hug as they stood on the curb outside those stupid sliding glass doors. “Be safe,” he said.

              “I will.” She hugged him back, burying her face in his chest.

              When they pulled apart he was smirking. “Try not to miss me too much.”

              She grabbed the handle of her suitcase and headed towards the glass doors, shooting him a smile over her shoulder. “I won’t. I’m taking a piece of you with me this time.” She held out her left hand, letting her engagement ring catch the light. She brought that hand to her lips and blew him a kiss before disappearing inside.

              He watched her go with a smile. Silly Annie. She’d always have a piece of him with her, even without a ring.


	6. Chapter 6

              Jeff was sitting alone on the couch, watching a late-night marathon of one of his trashy guilty-pleasure shows. Tyler had gone to bed hours ago, so the apartment was quiet other than the obnoxious southern drawl of Todd Chrisley coming through the TV speakers.

              He was just starting to think that maybe he should head to bed when a knock sounded from the door. His head whipped in the direction of the noise. He wasn’t expecting company. He checked his phone. Almost midnight.

              Slowly he got to his feet and crossed to the door. He had to check the peep hole twice before he opened it. His eyes must be playing tricks on him.

              “Annie?” he asked as the door opened inward. Sure enough, there she was, standing on his doorstep. She was in jeans and her ‘it’s all downhill from here’ paintball hoodie from freshman year. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail and she somehow managed to look both exhausted and restless at the same time.

              “What are you doing here?” Jeff prompted. “Did I know you were coming?” Her last visit had been just over three weeks ago. It was unusual for her to be back again so soon. Air travel wasn’t cheap.

              “No,” she said, wringing her hands slightly as she spoke. “I didn’t even know I was coming. It was… Spur of the moment.”

              “Okay… But I –”

              “Can I come in?”

              “Oh, right,” Jeff said, suddenly realizing that they had just been standing in the doorway this whole time. He stepped aside and gestured for her to come in.

              She stepped over the threshold but didn’t move any further into the apartment than the entryway. Jeff shut and locked the door behind them.

              He waited for a few silent moments for her to say something. She looked like she wanted to but didn’t know how to begin. She looked lost.

              “What’s going on?” Jeff finally questioned.

              “I should have called. I’m sorry. I don’t know why I thought just showing up unannounced in the middle of the night would be better than calling first.”

              “Are you okay?” he asked, reaching for her. “You seem a little…”

              She looked up at him then, her eyes meeting his.

              “I’m pregnant.”

              Wait. What?

             

 

 


End file.
